Chronicle of Zhu
by NeoNazo356
Summary: Companions have been part of the Avatar's journey since time began, but none had a secret as-dark as the one Avatar Korra met before reaching Republic City. A dark secret that could change the fate of not just Republic City, but the entire world. This isn't just the Legend of Korra. This is the Chronicle of Zhu, and you will believe they can change the world.
1. Leaving Home

What had started out as a great day for Avatar Korra of the South Pole had ended on a less-than-satisfactory note.

Things had started out easily-enough; waking up from bed, a hearty breakfast, some light warmups, and then kicking two Firebenders' butts for her Mastery Exam before the White Lotus council. With three elements down and one to go, Korra had looked forward to learning Airbending from Master Tenzin and finally having all four elements under her belt.

It was heartwarming to see Katara with her son and grandchildren, the family dinner they all shared an energetic affair with the three Airbending kids in tow. However… When Tenzin said there would be a _delay _in her instruction and that she couldn't simply go with _them_, her appetite had dimmed significantly, leaving the Avatar in a foul mood as she watched their Flying Bison take off for Republic City once again.

Sneaking out of her cabin to the stables where Naga slept, having long-since memorized the White Lotus' patrol patterns, she'd _assumed _she'd make a clean getaway only to be caught in the act by Grandmaster Katara. However, to the young Avatar's shock, Katara actually _insisted _she go to Republic City, fulfill her duty as the Avatar.

After a quick visit with her parents, unsure of when she'd return to the South Pole, Korra made her way to the docks, aiming to board a ship bound for Republic City.

Little did she know, a chance encounter would change not only _her _fate, but the fate of the entire world as well.

_***AIR***_

Under cover of darkness, Korra made her way to the edge of the Southern Water Tribe's capital city. Despite her size, Naga was light of foot and swift of speed, carrying them soundlessly into the water, which Korra bent away from them as they made their way to the docks, taking the long way around through the salty brine.

Coming across the familiar hull of the ship that made frequent journeys between the South and Republic City, Korra wove a ramp of ice up to the deck of the ship, turning it back to water as she slipped into the cargo hold undetected.

"Good job, girl. We're almost home free," Korra said as they navigated the darkness, looking for a darkened corner where they could hide until their arrival in Republic City.

Passing by a green Satomobile and rounding the corner of a wall of crates, Naga let out a low growl, Korra moving to calm her before an exhale belonging to neither of them signaled they weren't alone down there. Slowly turning her head, Korra froze up upon seeing a Southern Water Tribe boy not that much older than herself sitting against the wall of crates, looking up at her with cyan eyes matching her own.

"Oh! Um… _Hey _there…" Korra began nervously as the figure regarded her.

Cyan eyes set into a somewhat _feminine _face topped by deep-brown hair that fell just past their shoulders, the lack of any noticeable feminine… _attributes_, was all the indicator showing that he _was in fact_, a he. His attire was a mix of both Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom vestments; Water Tribe fur-lined boots, Earth Kingdom cavalry pants, and a Water Tribe fur-lined jacket.

"Hey," the figure returned evenly.

"So… you uh… You got room for two _more_?" Korra asked nervously, her tone strained as she fished desperately for words.

" . . . I don't see why not," he said rising from his feet, hefting a well-worn Earth Kingdom-style travel bag with him, allowing her and Naga to slip around the corner, the latter of which laid down against the wall of crates. "So… By that dopey look on your face, I take it you're a stowaway _too_, huh?"

"Was it that obvious?"

"Very."

"Yeah, well, you're in the same boat as me. _Literally_. So don't acct all high and mighty," Korra returned, not liking his tone.

"Believe me, I'm well aware of that," he sighed. "So… You have a name?"

"Korra," the girl answered without realizing it, gasping when it dawned one her that she'd just goofed.

"Nice to meet you, Korra. I'm Zhu," the Water Tribe boy returned.

Korra, realizing Zhu didn't know _who _she was, only her name, let out a relieved sigh.

"Zhu, huh? So where you headed?"

"Republic City, and after that… who knows?" he shrugged. " . . . I can _move _if you want, give you and your friend here some privacy."

"Actually, I could really _use _the company," Korra replied as she laid back down against Naga's flank. " . . . _Human _company, I mean," she reiterated as Naga gave her a look.

"What, you don't have any other _human_ friends?"

"Not really, no…" Korra answered awkwardly, scratching at her cheek.

" . . . I'm not sure if I should _envy _you, or _pity _you."

"Hey, you want me to rat you out or not?"

"You and I are in the same boat, _princess_. You rat me out, you go down too."

" . . . Yeah that's fair," Korra sighed, leaning back against Naga's side.

"So what's got _you _looking so happy?" Zhu asked, pointing to the goofy grin pulling at her face.

"I'm just so excited to go to Republic City," Korra replied, crossing her arms behind her head.

"Yes, well, first we have to _get _there without being caught," he said digging into his bag, throwing an old blanket over his legs. "Guess I'll see you in the morning," he said rolling away from her. " . . . Wow, this fur is _very _soft."

"Yep. Best pillow ever," Korra chuckled, used to sleeping against Naga's muscular flank, falling asleep in short order.

_***AIR***_

The following morning, with so-few portholes to see out of, one could scarcely _tell _it was morning from the confines of the ship's cargo hold.

In fact, most stowaways would've _missed _the subtle shift in heat as the day's first light was let in through the topside door.

Of course, Zhu wasn't "most stowaways".

His eyes snapping open as the steps to the deck began to creak, Zhu rolled over to his side, shaking his fellow stowaway's shoulder.

_"Korra! Korra, wake up!"_

"Nnn-_NNGH!"?_

Any further statements Korra had about the morning's karmic affinity was swiftly cut off as his hand went to her mouth.

_"Keep it down! Someone's coming!" _Zhu hissed silently into her ear, Naga's own perking up slightly before nodding off once more.

_"Oh crap! They _are_?!" _Korra yelped, eyes snapping open. _"What do we do!? They catch us down here, they might throw us overboard!"_

"_Well, we could _hide _for starters," _Zhu said with a flat look.

"_But what about Naga? I'm not leaving her behind."_

The footsteps were getting closer, a shadow looming around the corner.

"_Korra, I have a plan, play along," _Zhu said as he dug frantically in his bag.

_***AIR***_

For Lee, morning duty was the worst. Lowest guy on the totem pole, it was up to _him _to wake up at the crack of dawn and check every corner of the cargo hold for any stowaways. First morning was to catch anyone who was sloppy, second was to catch anyone who'd gotten sloppy after making it through the _first _day without being discovered.

As one of the few regular ships between the South Pole and Republic City, their shipping vessel, the Aurora which the captain named after stories his mother told him about the North, was a prime target of such vagabonds.

"Spirits, I hate my job..." the young man groaned as he passed by crates and cargo, eyes slowly adjusting to the light as he did his grunt work.

Rounding the corner, his eyes went wide as he spotted two Water Tribe teenagers kneeling next to a rather lumpy piece of tarp-covered cargo, the boy cupping the girl's cheeks and drawing her in close, the girl's eyes wide from the one he was able to see from that angle.

For a minute it seemed like he was unnoticed, but then the boy separated and nearly jumped out of his skin at the sight of him.

"Hey, you mind? We're trying to find some _privacy _here!" the Water Tribe boy, rather effeminate in fact, said rounding on him.

"_Privacy_?" Lee rounded with a raised brow. "What do you two need _privacy _for-"

A pause as his eye caught the glint of something around the girl's neck; a dark blue choker with two gemstones dangling from it.

In short, a Water Tribe Betrothal Necklace.

"O-Oh, sorry! Sorry to intrude! But uh… Why aren't you in your cabin?"

"The walls aren't really soundproofed," the boy answered, still cupping the girl's cheeks.

"Oh… Yes… That…" Lee said nervously, eyes darting on and away from them. "Well… I'll just leave you two alone. Enjoy your honeymoon."

And with that, Lee walked away.

_***AIR***_

Being locked away by the White Lotus for as long as she'd been, Korra had never had what most would consider a normal childhood.

Not that she'd _wanted _one. Being the Avatar was all she'd ever wanted after realizing she could Earthbend _and _Firebend on top of her father's Waterbending.

However, as a _consequence _of that isolated upbringing, she was never really around anyone her own age. All the _boys _around her as she grew up in the compound were old enough to be her _father_, and being accompanied by a White Lotus escort on the rare occasions she was allowed to venture into town, in addition to her status as the Avatar, were rather intimidating for the Water Tribe boys in the area.

So, when she suddenly found herself brought up-close-and-personal to a cute Water Tribe boy she didn't know, noses touching and upper lips _ghosting _one another, it left the rather naïve Water Tribe girl understandably flushed.

"Wh-wh-wh-wh-what do you think you're _doing_!?" Korra yelped as she scuttled backwards away from him, face redder than any flame she'd Bent.

"Stopping us from getting _caught_," Zhu answered.

"What're you even _doing _with something like this?" Korra asked as she tugged at the choker around her neck. Dangling from her neck was a round near-black gem with a white star-like marking visible inside it, while dangling beneath it was a tiny tear-shaped ruby. The choker itself had white and blue Water Tribe symbols woven into it.

"It was my mother's. Before she died, she told me to give it to the girl I wanted to marry."

"Oh…" Korra answered, caught flat-footed by the dourness of that response. "I'm… I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's alright," Zhu said as he got to his feet. "I've made peace with that. More or less."

"I see," Korra said in turn, bringing her hands up to the back of her neck.

"Keep it. At least until we get to Republic City," Zhu stated. "It'll be easier if we let everyone think we're a couple of kids on their honeymoon."

"R-Right, of course," Korra answered, realizing she hadn't really thought this stowing-away plan _through _all the way. "So… I guess we'll be spending a bit of time together."

"I guess so. Hope no-one checks the passenger manifest," Zhu chuckled.

"Yeah… Kinda new at the whole _stowing away _thing…" Korra returned before something dawned on her. "Hey _wait _a minute! Have you had _practice _doing this?!"

"Those who live in glass houses shouldn't Bend stones."

" . . . Okay, you've got a point," Korra admitted, her stomach rumbling a moment later. "You uh… wouldn't happen to have packed any _food_, would you?"

"Didn't _you_?" Zhu asked, turning to Naga's saddle bag.

Or rather, the lack _thereof_.

"It… might've slipped my mind," Korra blushed nervously, raking her fingers through her hair.

At this, Zhu could only slap his forehead.

"Well, I've got some dried jerky, but not _nearly _enough to last us to Republic City. Add your rather large _friend _to the mix, and my emergency rations won't even last the hour."

"Well, we _are _on the high seas. I'll see about rustling something up for the three of us," Korra returned, confident in her ability to do _that _much on her unpaid voyage.

_***AIR***_

Finding themselves atop the ship's deck, intermingled around crew and their fellow _legitimate _passengers, Korra and Zhu walked to the bow, arms linked together. Korra fidgeted nervously, unused to both the lightly-muscled arm wrapping around her own, and the added weight of the Betrothal Necklace dangling from her neck. Whenever they passed riding couples, eyes would turn to them before nostalgic chuckles and giggles followed, forcing Korra to drift further into Zhu's side, face reddening, unused to that kind of scrutiny.

_"Korra, I get that you're trying to play the 'blushing bride', but you're over-selling it," _Zhu chastised.

_"Quiet you. I'm not _used _to this sort of thing," _she said leaning a little more into his side.

_"Well, at least we have the hand-holding down," _Zhu returned as the sea breeze blew through his hair. A rather _odd _feeling for a stowaway who wasn't supposed to be out in the open like this. "So, how you gonna rustle up some grub? I don't see a fishing pole anywhere," he said in a normal tone.

"Fishing pole? _Ha_! Your words _amuse _me. I _am _the fishing pole!" Korra chuckled jovially as she stood at the edge of the deck, waving her arms in sweeping circular motions. Crew and passengers giving them weird looks, all eyes went wide as a large globule of water several meters wide rose from off the starboard side, a multitude of fish swimming about in rings of confusion as their surroundings were hauled away from the sea. "So, see anything you like?" she asked looking over her shoulder, a cocky grin on her face as she showed off her Bending prowess.

"I think something we're _all _seeing sees something _it _likes," Zhu said pointing into the large globule of water, Korra looking back over her shoulder only for her eyes to widen like dinner plates as a large shark-squid swam in circles before suddenly shooting towards them, its undulating tentacles thrusting it through the water like a torpedo.

"SHARK-SQUIIIIID!" one of the crew cried sending everyone on-deck into a panic.

"IT BE THE BASTARD WHO TOOK ME LEG!" another cried, pointing to the scarred-over left eye.

"Korra! Get rid of it!" Zhu cried as the shark/squid hybrid dove their way.

"Right!" Korra said throwing her arms down, the water falling away only for the shark-squid's momentum to carry it over the railing and right into- "ZHU!" Korra cried as the Water Tribe boy's hands gripped the upper and lower jaws, spittle flying all over him between rows of serrated teeth, the tentacles dominating its rear half flailing about as they skid out into the center of the deck. "ZHU! HOLD ON! I'LL STOP IT!" she said getting into a Fire Nation stance.

However, before the Water Tribe girl could follow through, Zhu's boot planted itself atop the shark-squid's tongue, pinning the creature to the deck. His hands going to the upper jaw and avoiding the rows of sharpened teeth, veins bulging in his arms, with a mighty yell Zhu dove forward and broke the upper half of the sea monster's jaw with a sickening _***CRACK!***_ that punched through the air, the shark-squid's sole eye going wide and quivering before it rolled up inside its head, the once wildly-flailing tentacles dropping to the deck like wet noodles.

"Haaa… Haaa… Haaa… Haaa…" Zhu panted, leaping away from the shark-squid's mouth and breathing heavily, passenger and crew alike poking their heads out of their hiding spots.

"Wow… Great _job_, Zhu"-

"WHAT ON EARTH WERE YOU THINKING?!" a crewman raged at her.

"Well, I-"

"YEAH! YOU COULD'VE GOTTEN US ALL KILLED!?" another said getting in her face.

"But, I-"

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR SPIRIT-DAMNED _MIND_?!" a Fire Nation businessman chastised.

"If you could just let me explain-"

"HEY! _NO-ONE _TALKS TO KORRA THAT WAY!" Zhu raged, a vein in his forehead throbbing as his bellowing voice washed over the crew. "ALL SHE WANTED WAS TO SAVE SOME YUANS FOR OUR TRIP TO BA SING SE, SO EITHER CUT HER SOME SLACK, OR _I'LL _BE THE ONE DOING THE CUTTING!" he growled as he fished a knife from the small of his back and planted it atop the shark-squid's skull, hammering it in for good measure causing the creature to convulse once more.

The crew and passengers, all cowed by the Water Tribe boy's words and his feat of strength from moments ago, glanced between him and Korra before their eyes fell on the choker around their neck, a few of them averting their eyes so they wouldn't meet _his_.

" . . . Korra, are you okay?" Zhu asked worriedly, taking her hands.

"Y-Yeah, but I should be asking _you _that-Oh my god! You're _bleeding_!" she cried as red ran down her fingers.

"Tch, must've grazed a tooth," Zhu said biting back a curse.

"Don't worry, I've got you," Korra said popping the cork of the water skin Katara had given her before she left; the very _same _she'd carried on her journey with the previous Avatar through so many battles.

Bending a globule of water out and weaving it to cover his hands, her own cupped his. Releasing a sigh, the water began to glow an iridescent blue, those nearby awed, but none moreso than Zhu who saw unmarred flesh as the water was drawn back.

"Wow… You're _amazing_, Korra," Zhu said looking up at her. "But, I guess I already knew that."

"Y-Yeah, you do," Korra nodded, coughing into her hand as her cheeks tinged red. "So uh… What do you wanna do with _this _guy?" she asked jerking a thumb at the slain shark-squid, the occasional tentacle twitching.

"Eh. I could eat," Zhu shrugged. " . . . What're you doing down there?" he asked as one of the crewmen pried open the shark-squid's mouth.

"Checking to see if I can get back me leg," the aged crewman with the timber toes said as he started to crawl into the dead beast's mouth, much to the revulsion of those nearby as he wriggled around in its gullet.

"Ew," Korra shuddered as she witnessed the most-disgusting thing she'd ever witnessed in her life.

Or _any _life for that matter, and the previous Avatar had seem some _really _grody stuff.

_***AIR***_

"Well… _That _was rather fortuitous," Zhu said as he and Korra ate within the confines of their new digs.

After "vanquishing" the shark-squid, as well as adding some much-needed variety to the evening's dinner menu, Zhu and Korra had been "upgraded" to what the crew liked to call "the honeymoon suite".

Though in actuality, it was nothing more than a regular two-person cabin with a vase of flowers, some scented candles, and a couple heart-shaped throw pillows they'd managed to scrounge up from some of the unclaimed merchandise.

So-grateful were they that things hadn't ended in catastrophe, that the crew hadn't even bothered to check if they were part of the passenger manifest.

"Yeah, I guess we lucked out," Korra said eyeing the nearby heart-shaped throw pillows on the bunk bed with mixed emotions before turning her attention back to their lunch; a hearty serving of fried shark-squid tentacles with tartar sauce. "So… about what happened…"

"You're really quite amazing," Zhu said in turn. "Your Waterbending, I mean."

"R-_Right_. Waterbending. Because I'm a _Water_ Tribe girl… Yeah."

"Well, you can Bend _water_, so being a Waterbender's a given, isn't it?" Zhu asked with a raised brow.

"Yeah," Korra replied. "So… You handled yourself pretty _well _out there. Really _strong_."

"Yeah. Don't let my girlish looks fool you. I'm stronger then I look," Zhu said as he reached for another piece of calamari.

His jacket off, Korra was able to get a look at Zhu's body for the first time. Beneath his Water Tribe jacket which now hung on the nearby wall, now clad in a green Earth Kingdom tank top, Zhu's figure was slim and lean, still-muscular, but not as muscular as she-herself was. Were it not for the flatness of his chest, he could've easily been mistaken for a girl. All in all, not unpleasing to the eye.

"So… I take it you fight killer animals _often_?" Korra asked fumbling for her words.

"A bit," Zhu replied. "After my parents died, I left the North Pole and traveled the Earth Kingdom for a while. Saw all sorts of people, and places, and of course, _animals_. Some were friendlier than others. _Lots _of carnivores that wanted to turn me into a mid-day _snack_. _Especially _in parts of the world where meat ate _other _meat."

"So you're a _traveler_, then? You're so lucky. My guardians kept me penned up at the South Pole all my life."

"_Why_?"

"Oh, um, well…" Korra said, caught off-guard. "You know. Just… really _worried_, I guess."

"Well, the bird's gotta leave the nest _sometime_," Zhu hummed. "So, why'd you leave the South?"

"Well… I just felt so _caged_, and I want to see the world, more than anything!"

"Well, I hope you have a _plan_. Because no offense, but you seem a little… _green_."

"What's _that _supposed to mean!?"

"Once again, no offense, but you seem a little… _naïve _to be leaving home for the first time."

"_Naïve_?! I'll _show you _naïve!" Korra growled as she hauled him up by his collar and reared her fist back.

"Not the face!"

_***AIR***_

Their "lover's spat", while momentarily intense, eventually abated, the two managing to have a good laugh over it as they made their way to the cargo hold and retrieve their things. Sneaking Naga enough food to satisfy her until their arrival at Republic City the following morning, the two returned too their suite, belongings in tow.

"Oh man… Your voice when I was about to hit you… _priceless_, hahahaha," Korra laughed as she threw an arm over his shoulder.

"Yes, yes, laugh it up. I take after my mother," Zhu replied, drawing her to him by the small of her back and smiling amicably for a couple they passed in the hall. "I'm guessing you have the _opposite _problem?" he said eyeing her up and down.

"Hey, I'm _proud _of my muscle!" Korra said flexing her bicep.

"_I _don't have a problem with strong girls," Zhu returned with a smile. "That's why I _married _you, after all," he said tapping her on the nose.

"Y-Yeah… Of course," Korra replied, blushing at the cheeks as they passed another couple. _"So how long we have to keep this up?" _she whispered once they were out of earshot.

_"Just until we get to shore," _Zhu whispered… right into her ear. "Heh. You're really cute when you blush."

"W-Well don't get _used _to it, buddy," Korra pouted, crossing her arms.

_***AIR***_

"Korra. Korra, wake up."

"Mmmgh… Go away…" Korra groaned as she rolled over in her bed. "The morning is _evil_."

"You know what _else _is evil? Irate _ship captains _who find out you've been stowing away when it's time to disembark" he said perking his ears, swiveling his head as though he could see through the walls. "Now get up. The sooner we get to Naga, the better-off we'll be in case someone finds out we aren't on the manifest."

"Okay… fine…" Korra groaned, her hair a complete and total mess.

" . . . C'mon. Sit down. Let me fix your hair," Zhu said digging through his bag before fishing out a Fire Nation comb. "I wouldn't be a very good _husband_ if I let my lovely wife walk out of here looking like _that_, now would I?" he asked mirthfully.

At this, Korra could only glance up at the unruly state of her hair before leveling a half-pout half-glare at him.

" . . . Fine. But no _pulling_," she huffed, grabbing a nearby chair and sitting down, letting Zhu work the tangles out of her hair.

_***AIR***_

The Aurora mooring in Republic City a few hours after dawn, the crew began unloading their cargo, a moving car-owner driving their Satomobile down the ramp ready to begin his new life. In the midst of these departures, 1,500 pounds of Polar Bear Dog rushed out of the cargo hold at speeds bellying her massive size, two Water Tribesmen atop her saddled back.

"Whoohoo! We finally made it!" Korra whooped.

"Yeah! Great!" Zhu yelped, struggling to remain atop the Polar Bear Dog's back, arms wrapped firmly around the girl's toned stomach so he wouldn't be flung off. "Can I get off now?"

"What's the rush? We just _got _here! Let's enjoy it a little longer!" Korra said snapping Naga's reigns. "Atta-girl! Go, go, go!" she said, urging the Avatar and Animal Guide pair into a brand new world.

**To be continued…**

_***AIR***_

**If you've watched ****The Legend of Korra****, then you know what happens in the Canon. That being the case, there's no reason for me to re-hash the happenings of the show word-for-word unless something **_**different **_**is slated to happen. I've seen stories do word-for-word recaps for no reason other than to increase the word-count, and I'm proud to say I won't be doing _that_. Not unless there are _changes _to events & dialogue.  
I want this story to be about the Quality of the material, not the Quantity of the words (i.e. word count).**

**As for why I'm using an OC, it's because I don't want to contribute to the done-to-death tradition of using Naruto re-skins in crossovers; especially in cases where Naruto is made so-different from his canonical self he might-as-_well_ be an OC. **

**OC are actually something I've gotten good at and consider to be my forte as a writer of fanfiction, flaws and everything, so don't expect Zhu to be some goody-goody who has the answer for everything. Any level of "ability" he displays is a result of hard work, circumstance, and any hard work he had to do as a result of said circumstance.**

**Hope to hear from you soon!**


	2. Welcome to Republic City

**skinnydude911: **This is a really good start, and I'm liking this. The teasing moments and Korra's unavailable knowledge of the rest of the world really shows. Can't wait to see more.  
Also, THANK YOU FOR POINTING THAT OUT! Oh man it feels odd how Naruto re-skins are used more often than just creating an oc for a story

**NeoNazo356: **Well, like I've told people in the past, Naruto re-skins are the "lazy writer's option" when they don't want to run the risk of a poorly-received OC. Which-of-course isn't helped by the fact that a lot of OCs that _are _made are just over-powered self-inserts with the answer to everything without any flaws or character arc, created as a means of wish fulfillment; like Isekai-genre media, in fact.  
And yeah, like I said before, most Naruto re-skins are so-far-removed from the original that they might as _well _be OCs. Having "Naruto" simply adds "brand appeal".  
At least in _my _humble opinion.

_***AIR***_

Korra, Naga, and Zhu's escape from the Aurora's tonnage unimpeded by the workers at the docks, the odd trio made their way along the coastline of Republic City.

"Wow, look at this place," she awed. "I've never seen so many Satomobiles!"

"Trust me, you'll get over the novelty real quick."

"What's _your _problem?" Korra asked incredulously.

"I don't have a _problem_. I'm just not a big fan of heavy metal chariots screaming down the streets at the speed of a racing _Eel_ Hound."

_***CRASH***_

"_My leg!"_

"See what I mean?" he asked as someone wailed in the distance from a hit-and-run.

"Oh my gosh!"

_***CRASH***_

"Honestly, it's a wonder _anyone _keeps these screaming metal deathtraps around," Zhu shrugged as that same car lost control and slammed into a lamp post. "So… Where exactly are you planning to go?"

"How 'bout I _show _you?" Korra suggested, taking them further along the coastline until they stood in the shadows of the Kiyoshi Bridge. Off in the distance, Avatar Aang Memorial Island could be seen out on the water, a towering depiction of Avatar Aang immortalized in oxidized bronze, robes billowing in the wind with an Air Nomad staff held proudly in hand, his serene gaze looking out upon what he and Firelord Zuko had built all those decades ago. "Air Temple Island. That's where Tenzin lives."

"Huh. Odd choice of place to run away from home to, but I guess a greenhorn like you could do worse," Zhu shrugged.

Korra of course chose to ignore him.

"You ready for a little swim, girl?"

In answer, Naga sniffed at the air before whirling around and following her nose.

"Okay, okay! Food first, then air temple!"

"Hmmm… Yeah, I could eat," Zhu shrugged.

_***AIR***_

"KOOOOOORRAAAAAAAA!" Zhu cried out as Naga galloped through the streets of Republic City, tires screeching, horns blaring, and roaders raging at every close call, not-so-close-call, or just every straight-up _call_ as the Water Tribe girl he held onto rushed heedlessly through the thoroughfares. "SLOW DOOOOWN! YOU'RE GOING TO KILL US ALL!"

"Whoops, sorry about that! Excuse us! Coming through! Heads up! Eh, sorry, we're new in town!"

"NO?! _REALLY_!?" Zhu cried as Korra apologized to passerby and pedestrians along the way.

_***AIR***_

Several minutes of road rage later, and Naga came out to an open square, slowing down and bringing her nose to the ground as she followed the scent that'd drawn her there in the first place. Her nose taking her to a food stall, its walls comprised of red-and-orange Fire Nation-styled cloth, the Polar Bear Dog stuck her head in through the curtains, deeply inhaling the scent of multiple kinds of meat and kebabs on sticks. Korra following suit, just as Naga was about to dig in, Korra halted her friend with a stern command.

"Naga, wait," she ordered with crossed arms, Naga's eyes going wide before slanting down in disappointment, a soft whimper leaving her muzzle as she laid down.

"Korra… You are the worst driver. _Ever_. Of all time," Zhu shuddered as he got off the Polar Bear Dog, happy to be doing so in one piece.

All that stopped him from dropping to his knees and kissing the unmoving ground was his sense of dignity.

"Hey, I've never been to the big city before, cut me some slack," Korra huffed before walking around to the side of the stall. Picking up a nearby meat stick, the girl's appetite was sufficiently whet by the aroma. "This all smells _great_! We'll take one of everything, please."

"That'll be twenty yuans," the shopkeep said harshly.

"I… don't have any money," Korra said nervously, causing the woman's ire to raise and Zhu to slap his forehead.

"Then what _good _are you to me?!" she asked angrily snatching the kebab away.

"Wow. Just… _wow_. For a Water Tribe girl, you sure are _green_," Zhu said poking his head in through the tent. "Here. One of everything, and keep the change," he said to the shopkeep amicably as he held out a fistful of coins.

"Thank you very much, sir, I'll have that ready for you in _just _a moment~" the shopkeep said with a bright and cheery smile, her sour expression turning into a jubilant smile like the flip of a coin. Getting one of everything together in a cone of wax paper before placing it in a paper bag with a practiced hand, the woman handed it over, a smile still present on her face. "Feel free to come back any time~"

"Don't worry, we will," Zhu said smiling in turn. _"Let's get out of here_,_" _he whispered to Korra, the Water Tribe girl nodding her head and mounting Naga before pulling Zhu up behind, the shopkeep finishing her counting a moment later.

"Hey, hold on a minute! This is exact _change_!" the woman shouted at their backs.

Though they were already gone.

_***AIR***_

The three of them making their clean getaway, even though technically there wasn't any reason _to _"get away", after a brief walk Naga carried the pair into Republic City Park, a beauticious stretch of land within the middle of Republic City featuring clear rivers, green plains, and boundless trees turning red, orange, and yellow as fall set in.

Naga, after eating some of the less-spicy kebabs, was once more distracted, this time by the prospect of marking a nearby tree; a novelty the Polar Bear Dog never got to experience in the South. After doing _that_, she then proceeded to wade into the river, now hunting for some domesticated prey while Korra and Zhu ate on the shoreline.

"You see this, Korra? This is called _money_. Muuhhh-neeee," Zhu said patronizingly between bites as he held up a single Yuan bill, featuring the likeness of Avatar Aang upon the obverse. "In the _real _world, we use this to _buy _things. Can _you _say 'money'?"

"Don't patronize me," Korra huffed as she ate her kebab.

"I still can't believe you didn't _bring _any. What, was everything _provided _for you all your life?" Zhu asked. "Man, whoever raised you left you _really _unprepared for the real world."

"_Tell _me about it," Korra said biting into her kebab, only to let out an undignified- "Eyaaugh!" -as an unkempt man with a crazed grin on his face popped out of the nearby bush.

"Why hello there, sir and madam. You uh, wouldn't mind if I got one'a those tasty-smelling kebabs, would ya?" the man asked stepping out into the open.

"Oh, uh, yeah, sure," Korra said uncertainly as she held out the bag, the man snatching up one of the kebabs before squatting down next to her, ferociously chomping down on it, lips smacking loudly. "So uh… Do you… _live, _in that bush?"

"Yes, presently that _is _what I do call home," the hobo said in response to Korra's awkwardly-made inquiry. "Took me a while to procure a bush that beauteous. This park is quite popular with all the vagabonds."

"So… there are a lot of you out here? I thought everyone in this city was 'living it up'," Korra stated, now unsure of herself.

"Hey, you've got a lot to learn, newcomer."

"_Tell me about it," _Zhu muttered, Korra glowering at him before turning her attention back to the hobo.

"Welcome to Republic City," the hobo continued, spreading his arms in a welcoming gesture. "I hope you find everything here to your liking, sir and madam," he said bowing his head to the two.

"Yeah… sure…" Korra said nervously.

Before any further words could be said, a sharp whistle cut through the air, all eyes turning to the nearby bridge where a guard was making his presence known.

"Hey, you! Stop! You can't fish here!"

"Whoop, looks like you'd best skedaddle!" the hobo said as the man jumped to his feet, diving into the nearby bush while Korra whistled on her fingers.

Naga running towards her, Zhu let out an undignified yelp as Korra hauled him up by the scruff of his collar as she bound onto Naga's back. The guard letting out another whistle and waving his truncheon before resting his hands on his knees and panting heavily, the hobo emerged from the bush he'd dove into and waved them off, the same crazed grin ever-present on his face.

_***AIR***_

"I notice you've been running a lot. Keep this up and you could have a criminal record before the day's out."

"So says the practiced _stowaway_."

"Stones and glass houses, Korra. Stones and glass houses."

"Are you tired of living under the tyranny of Benders?" an amplified voice suddenly called out as they passed a crier on a soapbox, a large poster of a masked man erected proudly behind him. "Then join the Equalists! For too long, the Bending elite of this city have forced Non-Benders to live as lower class citizens. Join Amon, and together we will tear down the Bending establishment."

"What are you talking about? Bending is the coolest thing in the _world_," Korra said proudly.

"Oh yeah? Let me guess: you're a Bender," the pasty-skinned man said patronizingly.

"Yeah, I am," she replied arrogantly.

"Then I bet you'd just _love _to knock me off this platform with some Waterbending, huh?"

"Well _that's _racist."

"How is _that _racist?!" the crier protested in response to Zhu's comment.

"I'm just saying, for all you know, she could be an _E__arthbender _with a Southern heritage. Didn't know _Equalist _meant '_racist_'."

"I am _not _racist!"

"I… think it's time to go," Korra said snapping Naga's reins, the whole conversation starting to make her a tad uncomfortable as the crowd began to turn on the crier, the color draining from his face as things began to get heated.

_***AIR***_

" . . . _That _was a weird way to take things."

"What're you talking about?" Zhu asked as he and Korra walked through the city a few moments later, the park well behind them.

"I mean, all that stuff about me being an Earthbender."

"I said you _could've been _an Earthbender as far as he knew," Zhu corrected. "Trust me, first time I saw an Earth Kingdom girl Bend fire, I almost lost my shit."

"So… what, she didn't _look _like she was from the Fire Nation?"

"Korra, after the Hundred Year War ended, the people of the four nations began to intermingle with one another, _especially _after the founding of Republic City. So don't think that just because you're dealing with another Southerner or Northerner, that you'll automatically have _water _flung at you. Just because someone takes after _one _parent doesn't mean their bending can't take after the other."

"Huh… I never thought of it that way," Korra hummed.

"Yeah, well… Now you will," Zhu shrugged. " . . . Where are we?"

"I don't know! I was following _you_!"

"And _I _was following Naga who _I _thought was following _you_," Zhu returned.

"Ugh. This is getting us nowhere. I'm going to ask for some directions," Korra sighed as she stepped over to a nearby shop, a young man and elderly woman conversing until she came up. "Excuse me, I think I'm lost. How do I get to Air Temple Island from here?"

"Just head down this street. You can't miss it," the elder woman replied, moments before a red Satomobile ornamented with a golden hood ornament in the shape of a lion turtle turned onto the street, driving toward them. _"You should get moving, young lady. It isn't safe," _the woman whispered as she got up, returning to her shop in a hurry as three men of mixed nationality stepped out of their vehicle, approaching a phonograph vendor.

"Mr. Chung, please tell me that you have my money, or else… I can't guarantee I can protect your establishment," a Water Tribesman in city clothes said in a menacing tone, his friend off to the side lighting a tongue of flame in his hands.

"I'm sorry, business has been slow," the now-addressed Mr. Chung said with a trembling voice. "Please, take one of my phonographs," he said holding up the music player he was just cleaning, only for the Firebender to effortlessly smack it out of his hands with a half moon spinning fire kick, reducing the phonograph to a burning pile of rubbish, Mr. Chung falling to the ground in fear.

"My friend here is not a music lover," the Water Tribesman said rubbing his fingers together; the universal signal for monetary currency. "Give me the money, or else-"

"Or else _what_, hoodlum?"

The three gangsters turning, were greeted by the sight of Korra standing confidently behind them, her hands on her hips, the three eyeing one another questioningly before busting a gut in laughter.

"Since you're obviously fresh off the _boat_, let me explain a couple of things," the Water Tribesman stated condescendingly. "You're in Triple Threat Triad territory, and we're about to put _you_, in the hospital."

"You're the only ones who are gonna need a hospital, and for _your _sake, I hope there's one nearby," Korra said with a confident grin as she smashed her right fist into her left palm.

"Who do you think you are?"

"Why don't you come and find _out_?" Korra asked, grin ever-present on her face as she rubbed her fist into her palm.

The gangster's eyes twitching, rage present on his face, the man Bent a water bullet from an unseen water skin hidden under his coat, only for Korra to easily stop it with one hand and send it right back at him, freezing it over his head. The gangster's balance completely lost, he unwittingly stumbled toward Korra who hit him with a spinning back kick, sending him reeling into the fender of his Satomobile, the ice around his head shattering leaving him free to sag on the ground.

The Firebender from before wincing at the sight, a large man who was obviously an Earthbender charged at Korra, leaping up. Before he could Earthbend however, Korra stomped her foot on the ground, a slab of earth snapping up beneath the man and catapulting him high into the air, falling on a phone line before being catapulted against a wooden advertising board, falling onto the pentice of the shop below it, before being thrown onto a tapestry which tore under his weight dropping him onto a shop display before depositing him on the ground.

"What just happened?" the old woman questioned.

"Did she just Earthbend?" the young man gaped.

"I… believe she did in fact, just Earthbend," Zhu stated from his position beside Naga, eyes as wide as anyone else's as Korra dove into a column of fire, parting it effortlessly with her palms before grappling with the weasely-looking Firebender who screamed in fright.

"She can Firebend too?"

"Could she be…?"

"Korra _wait_!" Zhu cried as Korra swung the gangster around with all her might, flinging him easily through the window of a nearby radio shop, the sound of glass breaking and radios hitting the ground causing the Water Tribesman to wince not for the _gangster's _sake, but for Korra's when it came time to foot the bill.

"So, got any idea who I am _now_, chumps?" Korra asked haughtily, only for the roaring of a Satomobile engine to cut off her reverie. The Satomobile screaming toward her, Korra got in a stance and got ready to Firebend only for Zhu to rush up to her, wrap his arms around her waist, and throw them both to the ground out of the Satomobile's path.

"Come on!" the Earthbender in the driver's seat said, the Firebender gathering his bearings and scrambling into the Satomobile, which began to pull away just as Korra disentangled herself from Zhu.

"No you _don't_!" Korra said as she Bent a fissure after the fleeing vehicle, catapulting it up into the air where it tumbled a few times before hitting the ground and careening into a shop on the other side of the road. Korra, walking up to the defeated gangsters as they spilled out of their ride with a pleased-looking smile on her face, missed the looming shadow of the police airship overhead until an intercom chimed up-

"Police! Freeze where you are!" the voice shouted, four Metalbending cops leaping from the cabin before snapping their metal cables into the nearby buildings, controlling their descent.

"Cool! Metalbenders!" Korra said in awe as they dismounted, armor gleaming in the light.

"Korra, this isn't really the time to be _fangirling_," Zhu said worriedly as the police proceeded to truss up the three gangsters, dragging them away as their rights were read to them.

"You're under arrest, too."

"What do you _mean _I'm under arrest?" Korra asked with a shocked gasp. "_Those _are the bad guys over there! They were smashing up a shop!" she said pointing at the Triple Threats.

"From the looks of it, you smashed up quite a lot _yourself_," the police captain said skeptically as he eyed the collateral before shooting a binding cable at Korra, only for the girl to dodge the tethers and snap her hand up around them, holding it back.

"Wait, you- You can't arrest me! Let me explain!" Korra said as her arm trembled.

"You can explain yourself all you like, down at headquarters."

"Korra, this is a very _bad _idea! Trust me on this one!" Zhu cried as the officer withdrew his cables before snapping them out at her again, the girl tumbling backward away from a downward cable snap before Naga swooped in and pushed the arresting officers down from behind, looks of shock and anger spreading across the nearby Metalbenders at the events unfolding before them. "UWAAAAAGH!" Zhu yelped as Korra hauled him onto Naga's back with effortless strength once again, the three making their escape as they turned left into an alley. "Korra! Why the hell'd you drag _me _into this!? Now I'm an _accomplice_!"

"Sorry! I just did it without thinking!" Korra apologized as she planted her foot into the face of a rushing cop, sending him stumbling onto his ass as Naga dashed down the street, her tongue lolling out of her mouth.

"Which is _exactly _your _problem_!" Zhu cried as he grabbed onto Korra out of sheer instinct, Naga dodging and weaving around cables sent at them from overhead, civilians shrieking at the sight of the chase. "AUUGH! MY HAIR!" he cried as a cable suddenly twirled around aforementioned lochs, yanking his head back. "Agh! Son of a-"

Before he could finish that statement, Korra Bent a huge wall of ice from the river they were passing over, the Metalbending cop letting out a panicked yell before he smashed facefirst into the obstruction, the cable twined around Zhu's hair going slack as the man slid down the wall with a soft squeaking sound.

"Hey, you okay back there?" Korra asked as Naga bound up some stairs.

"No, no I am _not _okay! Barely ten minutes in this town with you and I'm already a _fugitive_!" Zhu growled irritably, yelping as Naga cut off another Satomobile.

"Don't worry! I'll smooth this over somehow! I promise!" Korra said assuredly as she looked over her shoulder, two Metalbenders sliding across two overhead wires in hot pursuit. Eyes darting around, Korra snapped her reins and lead Naga to the right, the Polar Bear Dog leaping over the side of the bridge and atop a train passing underneath, Zhu letting out a shrill cry as the mount almost slipped off, her right hindleg kicking at empty air before she managed to scramble back up.

"Hey, here's an idea! How about we _live _first?!" Zhu growled as he clung to Korra for dear life, too much adrenaline pumping through his veins to notice the somewhat _pleasing _blend of firm muscle and soft feminine curves Korra possessed.

Air Temple Island visible on the horizon off to their side, moments later an alarm blared from overhead, Korra snapping her gaze up to see a police airship looming above them in hot pursuit. Their destination a stone's Bend away, straightening the reins with a determined look on her face, Korra urged Naga forward into a full-on sprint as the train beneath them began to bank right ahead of them.

"Korra don't you fucking DAAAAAAARE!" Zhu shrieked as he experienced a brief moment of weightlessness, followed by his stomach jumping up into his throat as Naga descended, her one-and-a-half thousand pound frame leaving cracks on the roof of the building they'd miraculously landed upon.

"Keep going, Naga! We're almost clear!"

"And don't say stuff like that out loud!"

"What? _Why_?"

The next moment several cables shot down at them from above, binding Naga's limbs to one another as the three of them were hauled off the roof and back into the air. A panicked yelp leaving Korra's lips as Naga's feet left the ground, a moment later she _too _was bound by cables Bent from above, binding the girl's arms to her sides, her passenger pinned as well.

"That. _That _is why," Zhu said, finding himself pressed into Korra's muscular back, his nose resting at the nape of her neck causing the girl to flush even as she bowed her head in defeat.

_***AIR***_

Suffice it to say, the fight was sufficiently taken out of the three of them.

As soon as the airship arrived at the station, the two riders were trussed up with shackles placed on their wrists with Metalbending; no locks to pick. Naga taken away by an animal handler, Korra calming her friend down so no-one got their head bit off, _literally_, the runaway finally allowed herself to be carted away into an interrogation room, a single light overhead illuminating the metal interior. A pair of rings snapping over the chains of their manacles via Metalbending, a fierce-looking woman with greying hair, two scars on her face, and Metalbending Police armor with a golden badge on her chest strode into the confined space, leveling a look at the two of them.

"Excuse me, chief," Zhu spoke up. "Before you read Korra her charges, would you mind letting me out of these cuffs?" he asked sweetly.

"And _why_, pray tell, would I do _that_?" the fierce-looking woman asked with crossed arms a raised brow.

"Because _someone _in this room needs a good _throttling_!" Zhu growled as he shot up in his chair, hands rattling against his restraints as they flailed at the girl nearby.

"Hey, what did _I _do?!" Korra yelped.

"You made me _wet_ myself when you almost turned us into road _pizza_!" he growled, the officer turning up her nose in disgust.

"I don't even know what pizza _is_!" Korra argued.

"Me neither! That's how _pissed _I am!" Zhu growled, a vein throbbing in his head. "Come 'ere!" he growled as he lunged Korra's way, restraints oncemore rattling as they held his hands in place.

"Help! Police! This guy's gone _crazy_!" Korra cried as she leaned away from the boy's body check.

"I'm almost tempted to let you go so I can see how things play out," Lin hummed as Korra flailed against her restraints. "Almost," she amended. "SIT DOWN!" she ordered, Zhu letting out a frightened yelp before he took his seat, leaving Korra be.

For now.

"Now, let's see here…" the woman said looking down at her clipboard. "Multiple counts of destruction of private and city property, possession of a rare animal without a license, _riding _aforementioned animal without a license, not to mention resisting arrest, evading arrest, assaulting multiple officers, and boarding a train without a ticket," she listed off. "You're in a whole mess of trouble, young lady," she growled slamming the clipboard onto the table, glaring angrily at the startled girl.

From what the arresting officers picked up, the male of the two wasn't exactly _thrilled _being an accomplice, so she'd probably cut him a little slack.

"But there were some thugs threatening a helpless shopkeeper, and I had it-"

"Can it!" the woman growled before walking to the other side of the table. "You should have called the police and stayed out of the way."

"But I couldn't just sit by and do _nothing_. It's my duty to _help _people," she said in a pleading tone. "See… I'm the Avatar," she said with a smile.

"Would've helped if you _opened _with that."

"_Quiet, you," _Korra hissed over her shoulder.

"Oh, I am _well _aware of who you are," the woman said, fingers waving in contempt as she leaned in, speaking with a softer voice. "Your little Avatar title might impress _some _people, but not _me_."

"Alright, _fine_. Then I want to talk to whoever's in charge."

"You're _talking _to her. I'm Chief Beifong."

"Wait, Beifong? _Lin _Beifong? You're Toph's daughter!"

"What of it?"

"Well then, why are you treating me like a criminal? Avatar Aang and your mother were _friends_. They saved the _world _together."

"That's ancient history. And it's got diddly-squat to do with the mess you're in right now. You can't just waltz in here and dole out vigilante justice like you _own _the place!" Lin said as she glowered at Korra. " . . . How long've you been in Republic City, anyway?"

"Less than a day. Why do you ask?"

At this, Lin turned her attention to Zhu, eyeing him up and down.

"Hey, eyes up _here_, sweet cheeks."

"Well… All things considered, I guess you could do worse for yourself," the woman shrugged turning back to Korra.

"What's _that _supposed to mean?"

A moment later, a peephole opened in the nearby wall.

"Chief, Councilman Tenzin is here," an officer stated.

"Let him in," Lin answered with an annoyed sigh. A moment later and the wall in front of Korra slid aside to form a door, Tenzin entering.

"Tenzin, sorry… I got a little sidetracked on my way to see you," Korra apologized.

"Yes, I… can see that," Tenzin said, his eyes shifting between Korra and Zhu before turning his attention back to Lin. "Lin, you are looking as radiant as usual."

"Cut the crap, Tenzin. Why is the Avatar in Republic City? I thought you were supposed to be moving down to the South Pole to train her."

"My relocation has been delayed," he said as he lowered his gaze to Korra, the girl having the decency to look down in guilt. "The Avatar and her… _friend_, on the other hand, will be heading back to the South Pole immediately, where they will stay put."

"But-"

"If you would be so kind as to drop the charges against Korra, as well as her friend, I will take full responsibility for today's regrettable events and cover all damages."

"Well don't _you _have deep pockets," Zhu chuckled.

"Quiet, you," Tenzin said turning back to the Water Tribe boy before turning back to Lin. Lin in turn glanced over her shoulder to Korra who was looking down at the table, the woman letting out a tired sigh as she raised her left hand, opening the cuffs binding the two's cuffs to the table.

"Fine. Get her out of my city."

"Always a pleasure, Lin. Let's go, Korra, and…?"

"Zhu."

"Zhu… How long have you known Korra is the Avatar?"

"Found out a half-hour ago to be perfectly honest."

"I see…" Tenzin hummed as he led them out the room, Korra and Lin giving one another the stink eye with exaggerated gestures before entering a waiting room.

"Tenzin, please," Korra pleaded, "don't send me back home."

"You blatantly disobeyed my wishes and the orders of the White Lotus-"

"Katara agreed with me that I should come. She said my destiny was in Republic City."

"Don't you bring my _mother _into this!" Tenzin bit out furiously, his face turning as red as his mantle.

"Look, I can't wait any longer to finish my training," Korra stated. "Being cooped up and hidden away from the world isn't helping me become a better Avatar. I saw a lot of the city today, and it's totally out of whack. I understand now why you need to stay. Republic City _does _need you. But it needs _me_, too."

"You… ah…"

A tired sigh passing Tenzin's lips, a moment later a ruffled-looking police officer stepped into the room, bring in Naga in by the reins.

"Is this your Polar Bear Dog, miss?" he asked before Naga licked him once more, fashioning his hair into an upstanding swirl not unlike the frosting on ancient Air Nomad Cakes that Aang used to launch at people with Monk Gyatso, the fluffiness of which was only possible at the Air Temples with a touch of Airbending.

_***AIR***_

Leaving the police station, a waiting Satomobile took the three of them out to the poart where Aang's statue could be seen in the distance. Boarding a sailboat with the White Lotus insignia, the three then made their way to the island, Tenzin looking up sorrowfully at his father's statue while Korra leaned on the railing, looking longingly at Republic City as it got smaller and smaller in the distance, Naga sleeping on the deck, her head resting on Zhu's lap as he stroked her head.

Upon arrival at Air Temple Island, a larger ship with the Southern Water Tribe insignia was moored in waiting, a small contingent of White Lotus standing in attendance. At the sight of them, Korra could only bow her head and sigh, her gloom interjected by the sounds of cloth cutting through the air as three young Airbenders swooped down, the oldest carrying the youngest.

"Korra!" Meelo and Ikki said happily, hugging her at the waist, Jinora more-reserved until Korra beckoned her over.

"Are you coming to live with us on the island? When are you gonna get married? Where's the honeymoon? How many kids are you going to have? How big is your house going to be?" Ikki asked rapid-fire.

"Married? What are you…? Oh! That's right!" Scrambling to unclip the Betrothal Necklace from her neck, Korra hurriedly handed it back to its rightful owner. "Here! In all the excitement, I kinda forgot to take it off," she admitted, a marginal flush on her cheeks.

"Huh. I was _wondering _when you'd notice," Zhu replied as he took the choker back.

"I'm sorry, but… _who _are you exactly?" Tenzin asked with a raised brow at the exchange.

"Name's Zhu. Korra and I met on the boat, paid for her kebabs, got made into an accessory for evading police and walking a rare animal through the city without a license amongst other things. You know, the usual," the Water Tribesman listed off with a shrug.

"Okay… But what does that have to do with _that_?" he asked pointing at the choker, confusion growing on his features.

"Oh, I caught Korra stowing away and faking being on our honeymoon was the only thing keeping her from getting thrown in the brig."

"Hey, _you _were stowing away _too_, pal!"

"Stowaways?!" Tenzin yelped.

"Well, _yeah_. Korra didn't even know what _money _was. How the heck was she supposed to pay for a boat to Republic City?"

"Hey, I _know _what money is! I just… didn't think to bring any with me…" Korra said embarrassingly. "And don't worry, Tenzin, as soon as I get some money together, I'll be sure to reimburse the captain for the ride we stole."

"So you're not staying?" Jinora asked sadly.

"I'm afraid not," Korra said sadly, leading Naga back toward the boat.

"Wait," Tenzin spoke up, cutting off the White Lotus guiding her toward the boat. "I have done my best to guide Republic City toward the dream my father had for it, but you're right. It has fallen out of balance since he passed. I thought I should put off your training in order to uphold his legacy, but…" he trailed off, putting his hand on the girl's shoulder. "You _are _his legacy. You may stay and train Airbending here with me. Republic City needs its Avatar once again."

"Yes! Thank you! You're the best!" Korra whooped excitedly.

"Yaaaaaay!" the Airbender kids whooped, Korra hugging the three of them and lifting them effortlessly off the ground, before bringing Tenzin along for the ride, Ikki giggling as Naga walked up to them and putting her head on Korra's back, purring contentedly while Tenzin sighed, wondering what he'd gotten himself into.

"Zhu," he stated after a few moments.

"Yes?"

"You have my thanks for helping Avatar Korra get to Republic City safely," the Airbending Master stated with a bow. "If there's anything I can do to repay this kindness, please be sure to let me know. You've done us a great service with your charity, and I'd be remiss to let it go unrewarded."

"Are you _sure_?"

"Yeah, c'mon, you can ask Tenzin for anything. I'm sure he's good for it," Korra said with a broad smile as she remembered how Tenzin had bailed her out of a world of trouble.

"Well… if it wouldn't be too much trouble…" Zhu hummed, Tenzin's worry mounting as he worried just what he'd have to shell out after the sot Korra put him in. "If at all possible, could I stay here as well?"

"What? You wish to become an Air Acolyte?" Tenzin asked.

"Less of that and more of 'if I left Korra this _green_ it'd leave a bad taste in my mouth'," Zhu chuckled.

"How long're you going to keep calling me 'green'?" Korra huffed, her hands resting on her hips.

"Only as long as it takes for you to go on a walk through town without leveling an entire city block," Zhu shrugged. "It's called 'less is more', you should really _try it _sometime."

"Oh _I'll _show you 'less is more'!" Korra growled as tongues of flame leapt from her palms.

"Not the face!" Zhu yelped, the Air Bender kids laughing good-naturedly as Korra faux-chased Zhu up the stairs.

_***AIR***_

"Korra, I'm so glad to see you," Pema said with a serene smile as she and Zhu were led into the family's dining room, a pair of Air Acolytes putting out a late dinner for the group of seven. "Oh? And who might _this _young man be?" she asked as her eyes turned to their extra.

"Oh, this is Zhu. We met on the boat ride over here," Korra answered.

"Thank you for welcoming me into your home," Zhu said, clapping his hands together and bowing respectfully.

"You're quite welcome," Pema returned with a smile, Tenzin helping her to her seat as everyone gathered around.

A brief prayer made to their meal, and to Korra's success in her coming Avatar training, Tenzin's family ate at a sedated pace while Korra dug into her meal with a smile on her face. After several minutes, it was Jinora who spoke up.

"So… Where are you from?" Jinora asked curiously as she eyed him over.

"From the North," Zhu answered between bites

"Then how did you meet Korra in the _South_ Pole?" Tenzin asked.

"I'd moved to the south just-recently."

"You know, that reminds me, why _did _you move to the South?" Korra asked. "Was it just another place to travel to, orrr…?"

"There's… something I'm looking for. Something I thought I'd find in the south," Zhu answered. "Unfortunately, circumstances forced me into an early leave, and that's when I met _you_."

"What're you looking for?" Korra asked. "If you want, I could help you out like you helped _me _out. It's the Avatar's _job _to help people."

"It's… kind of _abstract_," Zhu answered after a moment, waving his hand in a gesture. "I'll know what it is I'm looking for when I _find_ it, and only _I _will know it when I see it."

"So then it's something _spiritual_?" Tenzin asked.

"Yeah… you could say it's something like that," Zhu answered. "By the way, do you happen to have a _library _on this island? I'm… a bit of a bibliophile, actually… Can't go too long without a good _read_," he chuckled nervously.

"Oh! I can show you tomorrow!" Jinora said excitedly. "We get donations all the time, so I'm sure there'll be something to catch your interest."

"So, speaking of which, what _is _the plan tomorrow? We finally going to get to that Airbending training?" Korra asked hopefully.

"Actually, now that you've arrived in Republic City and plan to say, it's important we let the citizenry know you're _here_," Tenzin stated. "Not only will this help curb any imitators who might try to use your likeness for personal gain-"

"Like how those lookalikes at Full Moon Bay tried to get into Ba Sing Se by dressing like grandfather?" Jinora asked excitedly.

"More or less," Tenzin hummed, somewhat happy that _that _piece of history had been more or less glossed over. "But more-importantly, the Avatar hasn't been seen in public since my father passed away. This will be a very pivotal moment in Korra's life."

"Sooo… a _press _conference then?"

"Try not to say anything stupid."

"Quiet, Zhu."

"Actually, he _does _have a point," Tenzin spoke. "It's very important you choose your first words to the public carefully. You only get one chance to make a first impression, so it's tremendously important you not make a fool of yourself. The entire world will be watching."

"Wow. No pressure," Korra sighed as she went back to her food.

"Hey, as long as you're given a script and you don't deviate from it, I'm sure you'll be fine," Zhu said patting her on the shoulder. " . . . She _will _be given a script, _right_? Because after today, I can imagine a _million _things going wrong tomorrow."

"Happy to know you have so much _faith _in me," Korra deadpanned.

"Don't worry. I'll have something prepared by tomorrow morning," Tenzin replied.

"Remember, Korra's from out in the _ice-_sticks, so don't put too many four-syllable words on her speech."

"Just for the record, the White Lotus _did _teach me how to read."

"But _apparently _they didn't teach you how _money _works."

"I _know _how money works! I just didn't think to _bring any _with me!"

Comedy's "Rule of Three", people.

"Jeez, you guys argue like an old _married _couple," Meelo blurted out tactlessly.

Of course, over the din of the two's arguing, his words went unheard, meaning Pema didn't really need to shush him.

_***AIR***_

**AN:  
It was actually pretty **_**fun **_**writing Korra being called out on being so "green". Then again, like Zhu said, the White Lotus didn't really do much to **_**prepare **_**her for a life outside the compound; and as such, with her same level of preparedness, she wouldn't have been able to competently carry out the same "adventure" she had in her previous incarnation.**

**Also, did anyone actually _notice _Korra was still wearing that Betrothal Necklace the entire time as of the previous chapter when they got off the boat?**


	3. A Leaf in the Wind

**LuckyShadowWolf: **Aang was 12, from over 100 years in the past, and a monk and this story just made me realize the he still knew more then Korra did about the real world upon the start of A:LoK. ...The White Lotus really dropped the ball in that regard!

**NeoNazo356: **Funny story about that. I was re-watching the Legend of Korra DVD Collection I picked up from Walmart, and that is _exactly _the sort of vibe she gave off once she arrived in Republic City, now that I was _familiar _with the plot and could more-thoroughly enjoy it.  
Not only did she not think to bring any _money_, but based on her first "drive" through Republic City, it's clear she doesn't know the Rules of the Road, and based on all the tire-screeching, Naga really _did _have some pretty close calls.

** :** I like this Original Character Of your's He's Not a Goody two shoes but Someone who's not Afraid to  
Get their Hands Dirty and Do there own Dirty work Like with the shark-Squid Nice keep It Up !

**NeoNazo356: **Glad _some _people can appreciate the hard work that goes into OCs.  
Then again, with how-shitty most of them tend to be, I can understand the sentiment.

**Kalbario: **Yep. Unless stated otherwise, an object at rest stays at rest. Case in point, no mention of the necklace's removal.  
I just love the dynamic you have between Korra and our world weary Zhu. Most stories, especially fanfics, tend to stick to the same cut in hopes of not needing to describe already familiar events in hopes of others liking it as well as increasing the word count. This is not a problem per say, it's call a FANfic for a reason. I'm just hoping that since this was named after an OC, we get something different this time.

**NeoNazo356: **In a way, it was like "Chekhov's Betrothal Necklace", since, it being MENTIONED around her neck, meant it was going to be important later-on. The gradual payoff to that joke was very satisfying to write, since Korra was always so entertaining whenever she was flustered.  
Glad you like the dynamic. Most people feel like OCs with the main character are "intruding", so the positive feedback is a nice touch. It was really fun to write someone Naïve like Korra interacting with someone Experienced like Zhu, because when I was re-watching my box set of LoK, in the first episode she came across as _absurdly _"green".  
And yes, since there's a titular character _other _than Korra, _yes_, there _will _be significant changes to the Canon. Hopefully no-one bitches at me about deviating _from _the Canon when I eventually do, because it's just mentally exhausting to see people complaining about _that_, on a site dedicated _to that very concept_.  
Anyway, hope to get more Reviews from you in the future. Love the effort put into it.

_***AIR***_

The following morning was quick to come. Despite her excitement the night before and the laugh she got after Zhu was taken to the girl's dormitories by mistake, Korra slept like a rock and wouldn't wake despite Tenzin's best efforts.

_Zhu's _"best efforts" was a bucket of ice-cold water prepped for him by one of the White Lotus, and it worked like a charm.

With similar mutterings about the beginning of the day's karmic affinity as the day prior, Korra got dressed, ate, and flew into the heart of Republic City in short order atop Tenzin's Flying Bison, dismounting before City Hall where a massive crowd of civilians, police, and reporters had gathered to greet their new Avatar, a fine mahogany podium prepared for the occasion.

If Korra seeing so many Satomobiles in one place the day before was a shock to her, seeing this many _people _gathered in one place would be like a bolt of lightning shot at her from a Master Firebender.

Suffice it to say, nothing about her seclusion in the South could've prepared her for the archenemy of many men and women alike, Bender and Non-Bender, throughout the ages and all of recorded time.

Public speaking.

"Hello?" Korra began, the microphone screeching. "I'm Korra. Your new Avatar," she greeted, much to the crowd's adulation.

"Does this mean you've moved to Republic City?" a male journalist asked.

"Were you trying to send a message to the Triads yesterday?" a female journalist asked.

"Will you be fighting crime or the Anti-Bending Revolution, or both?" another male journalist asked.

"Will you be working with Chief Beifong and the police?" another female journalist questioned.

"Well…" Korra began, clearing her throat. "I _did _have a speech prepared for today… but reading someone else's words off a piece of paper isn't really 'me'," she said snapping the paper closed before Firebending it to cinders.

"Aaand she's gone off-script. Or rather, _no_-script," Zhu stated as Tenzin's shoulders hitched. "God, if you can hear me, _please _don't let Korra say something stupid."

"You care for her a great deal, don't you, Zhu?" Tenzin asked.

"If Korra screws up, it reflects on _my _ability as a teacher."

"Tell me about it," the Airbending Master sighed, hoping beyond hope that the brash, cocky girl that had once been his father wouldn't mess up.

"Yes, I'm definitely here to stay, but honestly, I don't exactly have a _plan _yet," the Avatar confessed apologetically. "See, I'm still in training, but… Look, all I know is, Avatar Aang meant for this city to be the center of peace, and balance in the world, and I believe we can make his dream a reality. I look forward to serving you! I'm so happy to be here! Thank you Republic City!"

At this, the crowd exploded into a roar of cheers, jubilant at witnessing this historic moment.

"Well what do you know? She managed to pull it off_, and _without making a fool of herself," Zhu hummed as he applauded along with everyone else.

"Thank goodness," Tenzin sighed, realizing the girl could've made his career _very _difficult if she'd screwed up at such a critical juncture. "But perhaps I should've had more faith in her."

"With how green you and the White Lotus left her by separating her from her own _culture_, a little skepticism should be a _given_," Zhu said with crossed arms. "Seriously, what the _hell _were you thinking letting her grow up that naïve? Even _Aang _had more common sense than her, and _he _was nothing but an ascetic _monk _wearing rose-tinted spectacles; no offense."

"None taken," Tenzin sighed. "And you're right, Korra's naivete _is _a reflection of the White Lotus' choice in upbringing. But the past is the past. All that's left for us now, is the rest of her lifetime, and I endeavor to do better by her."

"Well, you might want to tackle those endeavors right _now_, because the Avatar's getting kinda _swarmed _out there," Zhu said raising his hand to shield his eyes from the tide of camera flashes directed Korra's way, the girl suddenly swarmed with questions of all kinds from every major and minor media outlet in Republic City that she wasn't really _prepared _to answer.

Little did they know, the Avatar's speech that day was the first in a line of dominoes as the once-eventual future of Republic City was hastened.

_***AIR***_

Thankfully, Tenzin _was in fact_, able to get Korra out of there before she could say something stupid.

"So, I'm all done with my speech and we're back on the island. What do we do first?"

"First we get you fitted for your Air Nomad robes, and then we begin your training," Tenzin answered.

"WOOHOOOO!" Korra whooped excitedly.

_***AIR***_

"So, my mother informed me that you've never been able to Airbend before," Tenzin hummed as he and Korra walked down a veranda, the latter of which was now clad in her own Air Nomad robes, her mantle drawn up revealing her bare arms.

"Yeah, I don't know why. The other elements came so easily, but _every single time _I tried Airbending…"

At this the girl stuck out her tongue blowing a raspberry.

"Nothing," she said with a hand on her hip.

"That's perfectly alright. You just need to be patient," Tenzin said with a hand on her shoulder, before he began rolling down the girl's mantle. "Often, the element that's the most difficult for the Avatar to master is the one most opposite to the Avatar's personality. For Aang, it was _Earthbending_."

"Yeah, well, I'm about as opposite an Airbender as you can get," Korra sighed sadly, eyes at the ground.

"Hey, Ba Sing Se wasn't built in a day. You'll get this."

"Speaking of which, why are _you _here?" Korra asked turning on Zhu who'd been trailing behind them, now clad in some looser-fitting Earth Kingdom attire now that they were in a warmer climate. "_You _aren't training to be an Airbender."

"What? Watching an Avatar train is a once-in-a-lifetime _opportunity _for a guy like me. I mean, I'm sure I'll get used to it after a few days, but can't I be here to support my good friend?"

"I feel like all you'll be good for is pointing out everything I'm doing wrong and calling me 'green' every ten minutes," she said over her shoulder as she walked.

"Korra, you need to watch where you're-"

_***Bonk* **_"Oof!"

" . . . going," Zhu sighed as Korra listed into one of the hardwood pillars. " . . . I feel like this is some kind of _omen_, but I don't know why."

_***AIR***_

Leaving the veranda, the three of them made their way up a long flight of stairs, rising higher and higher into the air until they reached the zenith. There they were greeted by Tenzin's children; Ikki jumping excitedly up and down while clapping her hands, Jinora standing solemnly in the middle, and Meelo vividly waving at them. In the center of the plateau there was a slightly-raised circle filled with a multitude of wooden gates, all pointing in different directions with the elemental symbol for Airbending plastered on every one.

"Korra's gonna Airbend! Korra's gonna Airbend!" Ikki chirped excitedly.

"What's _that _contraption?" Korra asked, amused by the girl's energy.

"A time-honored tool that teaches the most fundamental aspect of Airbending," Tenzin answered. "Jinora, would you like to explain this exercise?"

"The goal is to weave your way through the gates and make it to the other side without touching them," the girl explained in turn.

"Seems easy enough," Korra said confidently.

"Jinora forgot to say that you have to make it through while the gates are spinning," Ikki said energetically, Tenzin stepping forward and raising his hands above his head before thrusting them forward, a large burst of air spilling out causing the gates to spin rapidly, nearly a blur.

"The key is to be like the leaf," Tenzin said holding up a single leaf before thrusting it into the maze of spinning gates with a minute puff of air. "Flow with the movement of the gates," he said serenely as the leaf swirled and twirled, never once touching the gates as it emerged on the other side.

"So… you just _happened _to be carrying a leaf in your pocket all this time," Zhu stated plainly.

"Jinora will now demonstrate," Tenzin said ignoring Zhu's statement.

Nodding up to her father, Jinora strode confidently into the gates, the eldest child weaving and twirling on her heels whenever one of the Airbending Gates drew near her. After several moments, Jinora was on the other side, a blast of air flung sending them spinning once more.

"Airbending is all about spiral movements. When you meet resistance, you must be able to switch direction at a moment's notice," Tenzin stated as Jinora walked around to their side.

"Alright, let's do this!" Korra shouted, a determined look on her face as she stormed the spinning gates, running smack-dab into the first panel she encountered.

"Ooh!" Zhu winced. "Ah! Oh! Agh! Ugh! Oi! D'oh! Gah! Eep! Yow!" he went on to wince every time Korra was struck by one of the gates, until eventually she was spat back out where she started, almost contemptuously. "That… did _not _look pleasant," Zhu winced as Korra got back up to her feet, her hair and robes a mess, the girl heedless of either as she stormed the gates once more.

"Don't force your way through!" Jinora said reassuringly as Korra narrowly avoided the first two gates.

"Dance! Dance like the wind!" Ikki cheered as Korra collided with the third gate she neared.

"Be the leaf!" Meelo called out as he made strange weaving motions with his arms.

"Korra! Watch out for that-" _***THWACK* **_"-gate…" Zhu winced as Korra was once more thrown out, twirling on her axis and eyes spinning before she fell toward the ground face-first, only for Zhu to catch her.

"Uuuuugh…" Korra groaned.

"Okay, now _this _is just painful," Zhu said with a wince as he carefully laid Korra on her back. "Korra? Korra, can you hear me?" he asked worriedly.

"Uuuuugh… Anyone get the number on the Satomobile that just hit me?" she asked woozily, eyes spinning.

"Trust me, Korra. If you'd gotten hit by a Satomobile, you'd be waking up in your next _life _right about now," Zhu answered.

"Rgh! Don't count me out just yet!" Korra said getting to her feet, rushing headlong into the Airbending Gates once more. "Ah! Ooh! Agh! Ugh!"

"This is going to be a _looooong _day," Zhu sighed.

"I know the feeling," Tenzin hummed.

_***AIR***_

"Um… Aren't you worried about Korra being braindamaged even in her _next _life?" Zhu asked after around a half-hour of trying to navigate the Airbending Gates.

It wasn't as though she'd been trying-and-failing for a half-hour straight. Tenzin, Jinora, and Ikki each would take turns alternating with Korra hoping enough observation would key her in to what she was doing wrong. However, no matter how many times the true Airbenders would cycle through, Korra kept doing the same thing, rushing headlong into the spinning gates like a charging Komodo Rhino.

By this point it was hard to tell who would actually be _worse _at the feat; Korra, or the Komodo Rhino.

"Now, don't you worry. Korra's made of sterner stuff than _that_," Tenzin assured, remembering the stories from her Earthbending teachers of how she could shrug off having slabs of rock hit her head-on during that stage of her training.

"It's not the _outside _I'm worried about. It's the squishy _insides _that _I'm _concerned with," Zhu said stepping forward as Korra tumbled out of the gates, oncemore extending his arms and stopping her from busting her head open on the cobblestones. "Hey Korra, you still in there?"

"Rrrgh… _Dammit_! Why can't I _do _this?!"

"Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!"

"Oh dear god…" Tenzin groaned as the ever-impressionable Meelo picked up a habit that Pema would absolutely _mutilate _him for.

"Korra, why don't you take a breather, meet me in that gazebo we passed on the way up here in ten minutes," Zhu offered.

"Why?"

"I might have something that could help you out," Zhu answered. "Or maybe it won't really pan out at all. Either way, it's better than getting your _butt _kicked all day by this Air Nomad thingamabob."

"Sure… Why _not_," Korra shrugged as she got to her feet. "Not like I was making any progress _anyway_."

_***AIR***_

"So… what exactly do you 'have' for me?" Korra asked a while later in aforementioned gazebo, Tenzin standing nearby with a cross look on his face, but deciding to hold his tongue.

"This is a rare chi-enhancing tea I picked up during my time in the Earth Kingdom," Zhu said dropping a small white leaf into a small teapot of hot water. "In an ordinary soldier, it improves vigor, vitality, and vim, stimulating reserves of natural energy and improving strength ten-fold. In the Avatar, it might perhaps unlock the chakras you need to perform Airbending."

"At this point I'm willing to try _anything_," Korra said staring down at the rather _small _cup of "rare chi-enhancing tea" she was being presented.

"Zhu, are you sure such a thing is even _safe_?" Tenzin asked wprroed;u.

"I'm pretty sure the Air Nomads had all _sorts _of weird, trippy stuff they'd like to use while meditating," Zhu said in turn.

"That… isn't necessarily _un_true," Tenzin admitted after a brief pause.

"Well… Down the hatch," Korra said downing the contents of her cup in one gulp, throwing her head back before slamming the butt of the small porcelain cup on the table between them.

Jinora of course knew _exactly _what happened when Korra's _previous _incarnation drank that very same tea, but an academically _curious _part of herself urged her to hold her tongue and see what happened first-hand.

For science.

"So… How do you feel?" Tenzin asked, Korra's left brow twitching slightly.

"Do you feel any different?" Zhu asked, a bit worriedly as Korra's pulse began to pound in her veins as a result of the stimulant she just took.

"No, kind of energetic, am I Airbending, hm? Am I? Am I can you see me Airbending?"

"Calm down. No, you aren't Airbending. Try jumping."

"Jump! I jumped, did that work Zhu I can do it again? Please let me do it again, want me to jump again? I'll do it right now, I won't even stop, let me jump let me jump let me jump! Why aren't you answering when I talk with my mouth?"

"Um… Korra… Maybe you should try walking this-"

"Woohoo! Pashooo!"

" . . . off…" Zhu said as Korra suddenly bolted away from the gazebo and around the corner, Firebending thrusters roaring behind her.

"What did you put in that _tea_?!" Tenzin gaped as Korra bolted with speeds comparable to an Eel Hound.

"Just _tea_! I swear!" Zhu said with raised hands. "I'm going after her. If we leave her like this, she might hurt herself."

"And _whose _fault do you think _that _is?" Tenzin asked as he followed after.

"Hey, all _you _were doing was beating her in the face with your wood… en… gates. Realize that sounds kindda dirty when I say it out loud," Zhu trailed off, the two passing by several startled and confused-looking White Lotus. "So uh… Did you happen to see a-"

At that, the three shocked-looking White Lotus pointed down the path.

"Okay, so that's where she weNNT!" Zhu suddenly yelped as Korra shot at him face-first, flying like a rocket arrow through the air at speeds even _greater _than an Eel Hound. "She can _fly_!?"

"Apparently so. It has me wonder what would've happened if my _father _had drank that same tea after mastering the four elements."

"Wait, you _knew _this was going to happen, but you let her drink that stuff _anyway_?!"

"Hey, I didn't remember until _just now_!" Tenzin bit back, a herd of Flying Bison frightened out of their caves in the distance as Korra whooped and hollered excitedly.

"Yeesh. I shudder to imagine the kinda damage this stuff could cause in the _bedroom_."

"That's _vulgar_!" Tenzin yelped with an embarrassed flush.

"You know what _else _is vulgar? An ascetic monk with _three kids_ and a _fourth _on the way and imagining how much time in the bedroom _that _took," Zhu bit back. "Now come on. I think she went _this _waYYYYY!" he yelped as Korra suddenly zipped past him once more, her feet now on the ground and not gushing fire.

Arriving at the main temple, the two of them found Korra circling it like a Shark-Squid circling prey, their eyes widening and faces paling as Korra suddenly banked right.

"Slow down, slow down, slow down, hey Korra, slow down, slow down!"

A moment later and Korra rammed face-first into a wall, the girl's momentum completely halted as she began to slide to the ground before landing in a heap, a Korra-shaped imprint left behind.

"Hey dummy, are you dead?" Zhu asked as he looked down at her.

"Ow, whoa Zhu hey did you see that, did you see? I saw it totally did you see? I hit that wall. Man, that was fast, that was super fast, I'm so fast, God, so fast, why's it so _hot _out here?!"

"Korra! _Calm_. _Down_."

"I'm calm, I'm totally calm you be calm. Why would you say to be calm when you know I'm already calm? Isn't it obvious that I'm calm? That doesn't even make any sense, you should make some sense, why's it so _hot _out here?!"

"What in Raava's name is _going on _out here?" Pema gaped as she came out.

"Hey Pema, what's up Pema, Zhu's making tea and I'm helping him Pema. Right now we're doing the thing where everyone talks slow and all the lights are super bright and I can smell clouds and man it is _so hot _out here!"

"I gave Korra some chi-enhancing tea and she's kinda… _hopped up _on it right now."

"Well, get _rid _of it."

"I can't. She already drank the cup I gave her."

"Well how long is she going to _be _like this?" Pema asked worriedly as Korra fidgeted in place.

"How long, what's long? I like long stuff, I saw a giraffe once, I think it was in a book, a giraffe book, the book wasn't long but the giraffe totally was, because of the neck you know. You know what I mean, do you? Do you? The part that connects the head… to the… body…" Korra trailed off, her energy beginning to taper out. "I'm gonna go to sleep now."

The next moment Korra fell flat on her face, completely out of it.

"Completely" being the operative word.

Suffice it to say, Korra didn't get any more Airbending training in for the rest of the day.

Let's just say Korra crashed harder than the first-ever airship _to _crash, and leave it at that.

I mean, she _had _snuck off to listen to the White Lotus' radio as they tuned into the play-by-play of a Pro Bending match, but without Zhu there to help smooth things over between them, both Korra and Tenzin went to bed upset with one another.

_***AIR***_

"Ooooogh…" Korra groaned the following morning, holding a globule of Healing Water up to her head the following morning at breakfast. "I've never drunk before, but is _this _what a hangover feels like? I feel like this is what a hangover is like."

"Take it from _me_, Korra. From a guy who was held captive at a Bandit Camp for four years, you don't know the _true _meaning of the word 'hangover'."

"Wait, _what_?!" Korra gawped, losing hold of her water and soaking herself.

"Zhu, is this really _true_?" Tenzin asked, shock spread across his face.

"Happened just-after I left the North. It wasn't _so _bad. Learned a lot of stuff that carried me through the rest of my journey through the Earth Kingdom," Zhu returned with a wave of his hand. "It's not a big deal."

"Not a big deal?! You get held at a bandit camp, for four _years_, and you just say 'it's not a big deal'!?"

"That _is _what I just said with my mouth, yes," Zhu answered. "It was a long time ago, and contrary to popular belief, I'm actually _grateful _they took me in."

"How could someone ever be grateful to those… those… _savages_?" Tenzin demanded.

"Hey, as far as bandit clans went, the Blind Bandits were absolutely _benign _in comparison to the _other _groups I could've been picked up by," Zhu once again waved off. "Now, if we were talking about the _Fire _Nation, and I'd have to say _those _people are 'savages'," he reiterated. "No offense," he added toward any offended parties. "Anyway, I was _eight _at the time, so I wouldn't have lasted long in the Earth Kingdom _without _the skills I picked up from them."

"So… What'd they make you _do_?" Korra asked curiously. There weren't all that many bandit clans in the _south _because of how-centralized the population, _and _local militia were, and bandit lifestyles weren't really _covered _as part of her education by the White Lotus.

"Mostly grunt work. Sweep the caves, gut the animals they brought in for food, take inventory, wash the clothes. You know, the kinda chores _they _didn't wanna do," he shrugged. "Didn't make me do any of the actual _pillaging_, and by the time the law caught up to them I was finally fit-enough to actually _escape _from them. Shame too, I'd actually grown _attached _to some of them," he hummed nostalgically.

"Really?" Korra asked with a raised brow.

"Yeah, well, part of the reason they were so _nice _to me is 'cause the women in the camp took a shine to me because of how 'cute' I was," he said making rabbit lop-ears.

"Well, you _do _look pretty girly," Korra giggled, twirling some of his free-falling hair around her finger.

"Don't touch the hair," he said slapping her hand away.

"Well, you seem _something _of a morally-upstanding citizen, so I have no qualms with you staying around Korra as long as you behave," Tenzin hummed, realizing if Aang could forgive enemy soldiers and bandits and mercenaries, he could at-the-least give Zhu the benefit of the doubt.

"So what all did you _learn _from this bandit camp of yours?" Korra asked as Tenzin finished with his paper.

"Oh, the usual stuff you need to know to survive in the wild. How to hunt, how to forage, how to 'not die' when faced with very large animals that want to make you into a mid-morning snack, how to make medicine," Zhu listed off. "If I wanted to, I could go completely off the grid and live a comfortable life as a hermit."

"I see," Korra hummed, her eyes drifting to the paper in front of her. "Hey, what do you say we go to the arena tonight, catch a few Pro-Bending matches?" she asked hopefully a few minutes later.

"That sport is a mockery of the noble tradition of Bending," Tenzin said dismissively as he drank.

"Come on, Tenzin! I've dreamed about seeing a pro-bending match since I was a _kid_, and now I'm just a ferry ride away from the arena," she said pointing over her shoulder, the Pro Bending Arena glistening like a golden jewel against the skyscrapers of silver behind it, and the beautific mountains in hues of green and white behind _that_.

"Korra, you're not here to watch that _drivel_. You're _here _to finish your Avatar training," Tenzin returned. "So, for the time being, I want you to remain on the island."

"Is that why you're keeping the White Lotus sentries around to watch my every move?" Korra asked, gesturing to aforementioned sentries scattered around the room.

"Yes. In order to learn Airbending, I believe you require a calm, quiet environment, free from any distractions."

_***BRRRRRRRRRT***_

"Distractions like your _son's _style of Airbending?" Zhu asked as he gestured across the room.

"Meelo's techniques are _not _representative of our noble traditions," Tenzin stated with a small flush.

"Alright…" Korra shrugged. "You're the master."

But even as she said this, she looked over her shoulder to the Pro Bending Arena, longingly since what she'd always wanted to see was so near, yet so far away.

_***AIR***_

Their all-vegan breakfast resting comfortably in their bellies, Korra oncemore tackled her Airbending training with gusto.

However, while yesterday's trial was of the _physical _variety, the beginning of today's training was of the _spiritual _variety.

Korra sitting beside Tenzin's three children in one of the tranquil gazebo set atop one of the many scenic overlooks of Air Nomad Island, the Airbending Master led by example, his children following to varying degrees. On one end of the spectrum was Jinora, the very _picture _of serenity while on the _other _end… Korra scratched her bum in a very unladylike manner.

For a while, everyone was meditating tranquilly.

Well, everyone_ but _Korra, who noticed that the floor boards squeaked with every odd movement she made.

Glancing to her left to see the Airbending kids in various states of calm, she eventually lowered her head, a sigh passing her lips.

"I think I'm doing it wrong."

"There's nothing _to _do. Let your mind and spirit be free, for air is the element of freedom," Tenzin stated, Korra chuckling loudly. "Is something… _funny_?"

"Yeah, you're telling me to 'embrace freedom', but you won't even let me listen to the radio, and forget leaving this island!"

"Please, Korra. Look at Meelo; he's able to meditate peacefully."

"Actually, I think he's asleep," Korra corrected.

"What?" Tenzin asked in surprise, taking a look at his son who was both drooling and snoring. "Um… Well… It seems that _Zhu _is taking to this rather well," he redirected, hoping to salvage his tangent as he pointed to the other Water Tribe teen present, a picture of tranquility alongside Jinora.

"Are you sure he's even _alive_?" Korra asked as she grouped at his neck for a pulse. "Hey. Hey, Zhu. You alive in there?"

After several moments of nothing she was growing _concerned, _but then a tiny pulse beneath her fingers told her he was _in fact_, alive.

And not a cadaver.

Let's just say during Katara's _Healing _training, Korra wound up pronouncing many people "dead" before she got the _hang _of it, and call it a day.

"Korra. Please stop. I'm trying to meditate here," Zhu muttered.

"How're you able to _do _that?"

"Do what?"

"_This_?!"

"I'm not actually doing much of _anything_, really."

"Which is _exactly _what meditating is all about," Tenzin nodded.

"Pfft. Showoff," the Avatar huffed. " . . . Okay, you know what, _none _of this Airbending stuff makes any sense to me."

"I know you're frustrated, but these teachings will sink in over time. Then, one day… they'll just click."

" . . . Yeah, it's not sinking in yet," Korra sighed after another failed meditation attempt. "I'm gonna go get a glass of lychee juice."

"Korra, the meditation's not over yet!" Tenzin said sternly as Korra walked off.

"Daddy, can I have some lychee juice too?" Ikki asked hopefully.

"No," Tenzin said flatly, causing Ikki's smile to turn into a frown, Jinora peeking through one eye, and Meelo falling flat on his back, still napping. "Well, at least this is sinking in for _one _Waterbender."

"I'm _not _a Waterbender, you damned racists."

"Oh, uh, I didn't mean-"

"Daddy, what's a racist?" Ikki asked, causing Tenzin to sputter at the inquiry.

"And _that _is my cue to leave," Zhu chuckled.

_'ZHU YOU TRAITORRRR!' _Tenzin cried internally as Ikki peppered him with _very _difficult inquiries.

_***AIR***_

After an unsuccessful meditation session for Korra and a _very _awkward chat with his children for Tenzin, Korra once again braved the Airbending Gates.

With as much success as the day prior.

After fifteen minutes straight of blunt physical trauma to every part of her body _except _the bottoms of her feet, Korra was _rapidly _nearing the end of her patience. Her blood pumping through her veins, her chi was mere moments away from exploding out of her before a voice called out to her.

"Hey, Korra!" Zhu called out with cupped hands, her blood cooling in her veins as his voice pierced the red haze in front of her eyes. "Before you do something stupid in the middle of that priceless antique, how about we tackle the _spiritual _side of things for a bit?"

"Spiritual hOW! AH! AGH! UGH!" Korra yelped as she stopped, one of the gates clipping her in the shoulder and sending her hurtling back from whence she came, Zhu throwing out his arms and catching her before she could hit the ground. "Spiritual… _how_?" she asked once the world stopped spinning.

"I'm going to help you resonate with Avatar Kyoshi," Zhu said with a confident smile. _"Probably," _he amended in a mutter.

"Kyoshi? Why her instead of Aang, or Roku?" Tenzin asked.

"Uh, maybe because Avatar Kyoshi is _also _a woman, and they're both fierce _warrior _women, and they might be able to better-link to one another because Korra isn't trying to resonate with an _old guy_?" Zhu groused with a condescending tone.

"In an odd way, it makes a great deal of sense," Jinora hummed thoughtfully. "Aang most-commonly resonated with Roku because Roku was his past life and was also friends with Monk Gyatso, but Korra and Aang couldn't be any more different from one another, so maybe pursuing the avenue of Avatar Kyoshi could prove more fruitful."

"And you really think that could work?" Tenzin asked.

"It couldn't be any worse than the blunt-force _trauma _you're subjecting her to on a daily basis," Zhu said holding out a water skin, which Korra used to apply Healing Water to the turtle-goose egg on her forehead.

"So… what, no more tea?" Korra asked.

"Not with what happened _last time_. Normally I'd _chuck _it after that whole fiasco, but I hate to waste, and that stuff's _wicked _expensive on the open market," Zhu answered holding out his hand for her to take, helping her to her feet. "Come on, let's get you out of those stuffy clothes and into something more comfortable."

"C-Could you not _word _it like that?" Korra stuttered.

Even _she _wasn't _that _naïve.

"What do you mean? I'm just stating _facts_," Zhu shrugged with a smirk as he walked off, Korra following after him as she moved the Healing Water to the _other _bruised-and-battered parts of her body.

"You know… I can't help but feel Zhu helped avert a great catastrophe just now," Jinora hummed.

"He _does _seem to be an adequate foil for Korra, that much is true," Tenzin hummed. "Hmmm… Perhaps there's more to their meeting, than mere _coincidence_…" he added thoughtfully as he watched the two teens walk off.

_***AIR***_

"Hey, Korra."

"Hm?" Korra hummed as they disembarked the White Lotus ferry.

"You think _I _could drive Naga today?" he asked.

"Why do you ask?" Korra asked with a tilt of her head.

"Well, I mean, since I'm going to be sticking around for a while, if we ever get separated from one another, it might be good if I actually knew how to make Naga go where I wanted," Zhu answered evenly.

"Haven't you ever ridden an animal before?" Korra questioned.

"Not really. I mostly _hoofed _it through the Earth Kingdom, and while I _have _ridden an Ostrich-Horse, it wasn't for very long, and not very well either," Zhu shrugged.

"Oh-hoh… So even Zhu the Great and _Wise _has things he doesn't know~" Korra purred haughtily.

"Oi, I still got more worldly knowledge in my _pinkie _than you do your entire body," Zhu bit back, holding up a slender pinkie in turn.

"Ugh, don't _remind _me…" Korra grumbled, recent events making her all-too-aware of how-badly the White Lotus "dropped the ball", as it were. "Anyway, you helped me out on the Aurora, so I guess riding lessons are the _least _I owe you. Now, you're gonna want to start by _mounting _the saddle. You stick one foot into the stirrup, and pull yourself onto her back in one swift motion…" she began.

_***AIR***_

"Remind me again while we're at City Hall?" Korra asked as they walked through the center or Republic City's political power one Polar Bear Dog Riding tutorial later.

"Because _you _need a Rare Animal License for Naga, and I am _not _getting thrown into holding, _again_, because you neglected your paperwork."

"Hey, we got thrown into holding because we tried escaping the police."

"_And _riding a rare animal through town without a license," Zhu bit back.

He wanted to add all the _other _charges Korra accrued in the single-day she'd been in Republic City, but that'd just be beating a dead Ostrich-Horse.

"Why do I even need to _worry_ about that? I'm the _Avatar_!"

"Korra, the Avatar still has to follow the rules, even the ones _you _made when you were _that _guy," Zhu said pointing to a bust of Avatar Aang they passed in the hall. "Second, do you really think your parents would be proud of you if you turned into some sort of _'hoodlum'_?"

"Okay, _fine_, we'll get the damn paperwork," Korra huffed, if only because she _herself _being called a "hoodlum" stung at her pride. "And don't call me a 'hoodlum' again, or I'll Earthbend you into next week."

"You sure there isn't any _Toph _in there?" Zhu asked, passing a bust of aforementioned founder. "Cause I'm sensing a little Beifong right now."

"Yes, Zhu. I'm fairly certain I don't have Toph _Beifong _swimming around in here," Korra said flatly, tapping the side of her head.

"How would _you _know that? You can't even _talk _to your past lives."

_***Bif***_

"Ow!" Zhu yelped as Korra's elbow found its way into his ribs.

"Let's just get the damn paperwork and get back to my Avatar training," Korra said as they approached the receptionist desk.

Sitting there was a middle-aged woman of Fire Nation descent, a stack of books set on her desk, one of which was in her hands. Korra stood there for a minute, the woman poignantly ignoring her in place of her book. When Korra eventually realized she was either being ignored either willfully or otherwise, she decided to clear her throat.

"Ahem! I'm here on official _Avatar _business," Korra asserted.

"So are _they_," the receptionist said lazily, jerking a thumb over her shoulder to part of the waiting room.

There, stood multiple copies of Korra, some with better "Korra style" Water Tribe attire than others, some with better physiques than others, while quite a few of them either weren't the right skin color or had too few/too many ponytails or had a crappy makeup job in an attempt to sell the lie. A few even had dog-type animals with them, none of them of the Polar Bear variety.

Still, they deserve an **A **for effort.

"Hey! No stealing my look!" Korra shouted with a stomp of her foot, launching the would-be impersonators into the air with Earthbending before throwing darts of flame at their derrieres with Firebending, capping it all off with a torrential blast of water from the nearby fixture with Waterbending sending them screaming out of the room. "So…" she said turning to the receptionist, "believe me _now_?"

To the receptionist's credit, she didn't look _too _shocked by this.

"Just clean up the mess you made and I'll let Councilman Tarrlok know you're coming in," she said as she muttered something into the intercom, Korra fixing the damage to the masonry and water fixture before they were given directions to the aforementioned office.

_***AIR***_

"Avatar Korra, so good to finally meet you in person," a Water Tribesman in fine clothes greeted them, his hair styled in a number of ponytails and slicked back, with just the faintest scent of lavender hovering around him, an immaculate water fixture of carved stone dominating the wall behind him.

All in all, his office gave off the vibe of a man who had plenty of money to throw around, and a willingness, if not _eagerness_, to show said money off.

"Councilman Tarrlok, thank you for seeing us on such short notice," Korra said giving a formal bow.

"The pleasure is all mine. And _please_, call me Tarrlok," the man said smoothly. "Can I get you anything? Tea, snacks?"

"A decent cup of coffee would be good."

_***Bif***_

"But what we're _really _here for is a rush-order on some paperwork. We were hoping you could push it through, what with you being a Councilman and all," Zhu reiterated after an elbow to the ribs.

"And who exactly… might _you _be?" Tarrlok asked giving Zhu a skeptical eye, seemingly just-now becoming aware of his presence.

"I'm Zhu. The Avatar's Public _Relations _Advisor."

"_Really_?" Tarrlok asked with an amazed look, and a raised brow. "Didn't know they _had _that position."

"It's new," Zhu replied evenly. "Avatar Aang didn't really _need _one, but _this girl…_" he muttered as he pointed a finger at Korra while muttering behind a raised hand.

"I see…" Tarrlok hummed, getting the message loud-and-clear.

It didn't take much to hear how the Avatar had accrued around a half-dozen criminal charges on her first _day _in Republic City.

Anyone else would've been thrown in jail and the key thrown away, but since Korra's _previous incarnation _had actually _founded _the United Republic of Nations, she was given the necessary leeway.

"So… what exactly can I do for you?" he asked waving a spindly-looking Council Page over.

"Straight to business. I like that," Zhu hummed, but with a hint of patronization. "We're going to need… two Rare Animal Licenses, a pair of Driver's Education manuals, a Weapon Carry Permit, and two Bounty Hunter Licenses. Oh, and a couple maps of all the hot spots in Republic City as well as any information pertaining to criminal territories you might be… _privy _to."

"Wait, why do _you _need a Rare Animal License?" Korra asked.

"As a just-in-case," Zhu shrugged.

"And since when did you carry a _weapon_?"

"I _have_, but could _not _because carrying bladed weapons out in the open without a license doesn't really _fly _in the United Republic like it does in the rest of the Earth Kingdom," Zhu answered. "That's also where the Bounty Hunter License comes in. Gotta bring in the money _somehow_, since the White Lotus doesn't have me on any actual _payroll _beyond providing room and board."

"But wait, why're you getting a Bounty Hunter License for _me_?"

"As a just-in-case. Also so you don't get sued for collateral in the event you go after a wanted criminal and arbitrarily decide to level a city block. Like when you fought the _Triads_."

"For the record, you should probably minimize collateral in the future," Tarrlok hummed good-naturedly. "I know that Councilman Tenzin footed the bill, but just be aware he is _not _'made of money'. The majority of the Air Nomads' money comes from _donations_."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind," Korra sighed.

"Well, since you _are _the Avatar and want to help make Republic City a better place, I'd be _more _than happy to push your paperwork through," the councilman replied, waving off the page. "So, while my assistant is assembling your needed documents, how about those refreshments?"

_***AIR***_

"Wow. That was… actually pretty _easy_," Korra hummed once they left City Hall, a thick envelope filled with documents tucked into a complimentary shoulder bag dangling from her shoulder.

"Never underestimate the power of nepotism," Zhu hummed. "Normally stuff like that takes _ages _to go through, but you, being the _Avatar_, are in a unique position where you can just _ask _for paperwork to be pushed through and it will," he explained. "At least… in regions that _acknowledge _the authority of the Avatar."

"Doesn't _everyone _respect my authority?" Korra asked confusedly.

"Not everyone _important_, at least," Zhu said in turn. "Just a heads-up. The Earth Queen hasn't historically been _thrilled _with the United Republic of Nations taking away resources and commerce from the Earth Kingdom, so don't expect to get the _royal treatment _from her."

"Wait, you've _been _there?"

"Not personally, but I know of it by reputation," Zhu shrugged.

"Alright. Next question then," Korra hummed. "Why are you still driving?" she asked from her position _behind _Zhu atop Naga's back. "And why're you driving so _slow_?" she asked, voicing a heated disapproval at their current clip.

Hell, even _Naga _seemed uncomfortable with how-slow they were going.

"Like I might've vaguely implied in the past, _you_, are a _terrible _driver," Zhu answered. "Second, it's so we don't run over any pedestrians," he said gesturing to passerby around them, half of which gave the Polar Bear Dog in their midst a wide berth, while others looked up at the Avatar among them in shock and awe.

"And we can't use the roads _because…?_" Korra asked as Satomobiles zipped by them; _contemptuously _in the girl's mind.

"Because you don't know the rules of the road and if Naga gets T-boned by a Satomobile at full speed, she will _not _be getting back up again," he stated, Naga whimpering at the thought.

"Alright, _fine_. I'll read that driver's ed manual as soon as I get home," Korra huffed

"That's all I ask," Zhu returned. "You hear that, girl? You won't be getting _road rage _anymore~" he cooed as he leaned forward and rubbed Naga's neck, the Polar Bear Dog purring appreciatively. "With mandatory readings for later in mind… we're here."

"Here? Where's _here_?" Korra asked as they began to round a large circular wall.

"According to the map and those White Lotus guys I asked, we are now at the Little Ba Sing Se Fashion Mall," Zhu answered as they finally approached the gate, Korra's eyes widening as she beheld the largest marketplace she'd ever seen.

"Whoa…" Korra awed.

"I'd say the real thing was better, but since I've never been, I wouldn't know," Zhu shrugged as he dismounted, Korra landing next to him in a crouch.

The Little Ba Sing Se Fashion Mall, as the name implied, was a smaller version of the city of Ba Sing Se, the only difference being that the outer and inner walls were both bisected, leaving free thoroughfares of passage between each ring. Set into each wall in two tiers were a multitude of stores of varying colors and wares, and at the very center on an incredibly high rise was a replica of the Earth Kingdom Royal Palace.

People from all walks of life of all nationalities wandered around, but there was an obvious division of class between the outer and innermost rings. There was even a marked difference in the quality of _shopping bags_.

However, before they could _enter_, there was a bit of a security issue at the door.

"What do you _mean_ I can't bring Naga in? I'm the _Avatar_!"

"First off, just like the real thing, there's no animals allowed," the security guard at the south gate stated. "Second, I've dealt with a dozen of you 'Avatar' _today_. And by the way, not a very impressive costume," he said gesturing to a lineup of 'Avatar Korra' loitering along the outer wall, having the gall to compare _notes_. Out in the open!

"_Again_!?" Korra raged, launching them a foot into the air with Earthbending before lighting fires under them, literally, with Firebending.

As the Korra wannabes scattered, parts of their costumes aflame, the security guard blinked owlishly before gesturing to the entrance with his arms.

"Welcome to the Little Ba Sing Se Fashion Mall, Avatar Korra. Please, enjoy your stay," he said amicably as though he hadn't just rebuffed her.

" . . . Naga, wait here," Korra said after a moment.

"You're actually _following_ that rule?" Zhu asked, his brow quirked.

"It's like you said. As an Avatar, I set an example for those around me, and if animals aren't allowed, I won't force the issue," Korra answered. "You mind watching over her?" she asked the guard.

"Of _course_, Avatar Korra! It would be an honor, nay, a _privilege_!" the man said with a deep bow, accepting Naga's reins into his hand.

"Wow… That's very mature of you," Zhu nodded as Naga shuffled off and sat beside the security booth built into the wall, the picture of loyal patience.

"So… Where exactly are we going?" Korra asked as the two of them entered the Lower Ring.

"One of the stores in the Little Upper Ring," Zhu hummed as they walked along, mallgoers stopping in awe of the Avatar among them, while a few of higher social standing had the gall to turn their _noses _up at her.

Feeling the Avatar's blood boiling at the blatant dismissal, Zhu grabbed her by the hand before she could do something potentially _damaging_.

Any mistakes Korra made at _this _point in her "career" could be easily written-off as "youthful exuberance", but that kind of excuse wouldn't fly forever, and Zhu didn't want any sort of international incident to happen on his watch now that his future was more or less "tied" to the Avatar's own.

Maybe becoming the Avatar's Public Relations Adviser hadn't been the _smartest _move. Not with how-easily the volatile Avatar turned to _Firebending _to solve her problems.

Oh well. Hopefully nothing _too _exciting would happen that day.

_***AIR***_

"Let's see… It should be right… around… _here_," Zhu said a few minutes later, looking up from a hand-drawn map, Korra's eyes following his to a storefront sign that read **Yanyu Fashion Boutique**. The walls were clean white stone, the roof overhanging it an Earth Kingdom green, with large glass windows displaying fashion-clad wooden mannequins carved from pale white wood, each one gleaming with a coating of varnish. The door itself looked custom-made, emphasizing richness and taste.

"Well _this _looks… fancy…" Korra hummed as she eyed the fashionably-dressed mannequins.

"Yes, Korra. Contrary to popular belief, people _do _make clothes out of things other than animal skins."

"That sounded kinda _racist_," Korra pouted.

"We're both the same race. That means my statement is _not _racist," Zhu returned. "If anything it's _satirical_."

"My, my, aren't _you _two energetic," a voice purred in greeting, Korra and Zhu turning to the storefront as the door opened.

Stepping out into the afternoon light was a tall, beautiful, busty woman who appeared to be in her 30s, with curves meant for beautiful dresses, so much so that even _Korra _was made self-conscious; and this was a girl who had complete and total _confidence _in her own body type. The woman's eyes were a bright green-gold, her light-colored skin utterly flawless, her long dark hair colored a darkened green using that new Varri-Dye product. The lipstick she wore was the same gemstone green as her hair, and her attire was a formfitting flower-print sleeveless dress, jade bracelets on her wrists, and polished high-heeled shoes.

"You're Yanyu, 'Mistress Silk', correct?" Zhu asked, flushing slightly as his eyes darted between her and his own shoes.

"But of course," the woman replied, bowing at the waist. "How can I serve the Avatar this fine day?"

"You know who I _am_?" Korra asked, especially since all day she'd had people telling her the exact _opposite_, and lighting half the reason for that on _fire_.

"Oh, there's no way I could ever mistake _your _regal bearing," Yanyu replied in answer. "Honestly, why _anyone _would be fooled by those posers, I'll never know. So… To what do I owe the honor?"

"I'm trying to help the Avatar resonate with one of her past lives. More-specifically, her most-recent previous incarnation of the _female _persuasion, Avatar Kyoshi of the Earth Kingdom."

"Ah, I see. Instead of getting her to resonate with Avatar Aang or Avatar Roku, you aim to have her link up with an Avatar of the same gender. A very wise approach. A very wise approach indeed," Yanyu hummed with a nod. "And to that you'd like… some period-accurate Kyoshi Warrior _robes_?"

"If that's within your ability."

"Within my ability? Compared to what some of these strumpets nowadays come into my shop for, some combat robes will be _easy_," Yanyu replied with a wave of her hand. "I _do _of course keep the materials on-hand, just in case, but they're rather costly," she added on, causing Korra to visibly wince.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that. You can just send the bill to Councilman Tarrlok."

"Wait, we _will_?" Korra gawped.

"The man _did _say he wanted to support you in whatever way he could," Zhu said with a knowing grin. "Certainly dressed finely-enough to back those words up."

"As the woman who makes some of the councilman's best suits, I'm inclined to _agree _with that sentiment," the seamstress said with a glint in her eye. "Well, why don't you come on into my store. We'll take some measurements and then see about getting you those robes," she said drawing out a measuring tape. "But first, _strip._"

"What?!" Korra gawped.

"I can't get a decent measurement with all those baggy clothes on."

"Oh."

"Well, I'll leave you two girls alone, then," Zhu stated as he turned on his heel. "It's rather _rude _to look at a girl in a state of undress. I'll be back to pick you up when you're done."

"Don't worry, young man. I'll take _excellent _care of her," Yanyu replied. "And while I'm at it, I'll fit you for a nice evening gown."

"Hey, uh, listen, I know Tarrlok said he's support my Avatar training however he could, but I don't think buying fancy duds on his yuan was what he had in mind," Korra said waving her arms.

"Oh, don't worry about the gown. That'll be on the house. After all, us girls have to look out for one another, and a girl's gotta look her best," the seamstress said glancing suggestively toward the departing Zhu.

"O-Oh wait! No, we're not like that! We're just _friends_!" Korra stammered, face reddening.

Yanyu in response could only chuckle as she dragged Korra into the back of the store.

_***AIR***_

"So, Korra, how did the measuring turn out?" Zhu asked a while later as Korra stepped out of the boutique.

"Fine," the Avatar answered curtly, blushing a little at the cheeks. "My Kyoshi battle robes should be ready in a couple hours. The evening gown she says she'll mail to the island."

"Good to know. Nothing wrong with making new friends," Zhu nodded. "Of course, I doubt the dress was purely for _your _benefit."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, the next time you appear at a formal banquet, people are going to know whose dress you're wearing, and when you say _Yanyu's_," he said jabbing a thumb up towards the boutique. " . . . This is the part where you realize what I'm getting at," Zhu said after a few moments.

"Um, sooo… Yanyu's making that gown for me… is because it'll be like advertising for her _store_?" Korra groused.

"Ex_actly_," Zhu nodded. "This sort of thing is just _one _of the ways that people take advantage of one another in the real world, though in _this _case, there's nothing outright malicious about it. Yanyu's just a skilled businesswoman. If Yanyu becomes the Avatar's premier dressmaker, the yuans are going to just _pour _in."

"Oh. I see," Korra nodded.

"So… What do you wanna do in the meantime?" Zhu asked after a moment.

"Maybe look around. See what the mall has to offer," Korra said looking around the upper ring, before her eyes descended on the lower, finding the wares there more to her liking. "Although… I _am _kinda thirsty."

"Oh, then you're in luck. While you were getting your measurements done, I did some looking around. I know just the place to quench that thirst of yours," Zhu said as he waved Korra along, the girl following him towards the Little Outer Ring.

_***AIR***_

"The place we're going to sure is _popular_. We've passed by ten people with the same _cups _already," Korra hummed as they walked, noticing that very fact.

"Yeah. The White Lotus guys I talked to said this was the place to go for a pick-me-up, and I'm glad the hype is lived-up-to," Zhu hummed as they approached the store. "Here we are."

"Mr. Juice's Juice Bar?" Korra read aloud. "Not very _imaginative_."

"Says the girl who was holed up in the north like some kind of _hermit_."

"Hey, that was _not _my fault," Korra bit back before turning her attention back to the store.

The place was slightly bigger than a "hole in the wall", featuring a large bar made of dark wood with a dozen stools dominating the left half of the store. Hanging just above the outside were colored banners of white, green, and yellow fabric featuring child-like renditions of different kinds of spirits partaking in different kinds of fruits. What caught _Korra's _attention was that one of the included spirits was a Lion-Turtle, which was shocking since the only other sighting of one before Avatar Aang learned Energybending was three-hundred years _prior _to that. Within the store itself were baskets filled with bright and colorful fruit, polished metal juicing machines with hand-cranks, and crystal clear bottles of colorful fresh-looking juices in iceboxes with glass windows. On other shelves were stacks of glistening crystal-like cups, bottles of syrup, and small packages of ground powders. Hanging from one of the walls were polished, incredibly sharp-looking knives that looked like a person could cut themselves just by _looking _at it. Heck, even the _cash _register was polished, a sparkling red with golden accents.

"Okay… I'll admit… This is all _very _impressive," Korra said as she and Zhu sat on a pair of stools, taking in the ambiance around them. "Though I'm not sure the spirits would appreciate such a… _juvenile _portrayal," she said glancing over her shoulder to the banners.

"Mm. Probably to appeal to a wider demographic," Zhu shrugged. "Excuse me, we'd like to order, please."

"In a moment. Have to keep one's tools sharp," an aged figure in the back of the store replied, a knife scraping against a whetstone a few times more before he brought it up to the light. After examining it for a moment, he tossed an orange up into the air and allowed it to fall upon the blade, the piece of fruit splitting perfectly in half, leaving Korra and Zhu wide-eyed at the feat. "Ah, there we go. Nice and sharp," the old man hummed appreciably before turning around.

By looks alone he was quite old; he looked to be in his late 80s in fact. His graying hair set in a ponytail, a thick beard covering his face, his earlobes were long and stretched with ceremonial piercings. His skin was tanned and healthy, his head mostly bald, with just the barest glint of silver visible through squinted eyes. His attire consisted of a white/blue T-shirt, blue shorts, Earth Kingdom shoes, and an apron featuring a more-realistic depiction of a Lion-Turtle.

The old man, walking up to the counter, blinked his eyes a few times before squinting at Korra.

"Aang…? Avatar Aang…?" he asked as he eyed her over. "No. No, you're the _new _Avatar, aren't you?"

"Well, nice to see someone recognize me at a glance," Korra hummed.

"Well of course. After all, when you meet the Avatar, you never really forget," the old man replied as he gestured to a wall on the right side of the store, a picture of himself and Avatar Aang sitting together with a cup of juice in their hands at that very same store pictured prominently.

"Hey wait a minute!" Korra gawped as she looked at the picture. "This picture looks like it was taken over forty years ago, so how do you still look the _same_?!" she gawped as she whiplashed between the old juice merchant in the picture and the real thing.

"It isn't all that weird to be honest," Zhu hummed as he looked at the picture, guessing that Aang was in his 40s when aforementioned picture was taken. "Avatar Kyoshi lived to be two-hundred and thirty years old, yet she didn't look that much _older _than her pre-forty's. If your vitality and chi are strong-enough, being long-lived like that isn't outside the realm of possibility."

"I _guess_, but…" Korra pouted as she tapped a finger on the counter. "It's just… You look like you're as old as Katara, yet you have to be _much _older than that."

"Yes, well, diet and exercise. Diet and exercise," the old man hummed as he stroked his beard. "Anyway, allow me to re-introduce myself. My name is Junjie. Jinjuie Jianyu Jinhai, but everyone just calls me 'Mr. Juice'," he said with a chortle.

"Ah, well, it's nice to _meet _you, Mr. Juice," Korra replied. "It feels pretty weird, meeting someone that knew my past self, but it feels like we've known one-another for years."

"That we did. Aang would come to my store quite-often, even up to the waning years of his life," he said as, with deft and precise motions, he chopped a variety of produce into slices and pieces, tossing them into a hand-cranked blender before shelling out a poured glass of yellow-ish juice. "Here you are. This was Aang's favorite," he said passing it along to Korra, the girl bringing it up to her lips and eagerly swallowing before audibly retching, gagging as she held her throat. "Hmmm… While _friendships _can last more than one lifetime, perhaps one's taste in fruit juice is _acquired _rather than _transcendent_," Mr. Juice mused aloud.

"Ugh! What's _in _that stuff?!" Korra gawped.

"Bananna-onion juice, otherwise known as the Avatar Aang Special on my secret menu," the old man chuckled. "Don't worry, it's on the house for the Avatar."

"It'd _better _be, because-!"

"Korra, your word carries a lot of weight. Choose them wisely," Zhu said clapping a hand over her mouth.

" . . . Right," Korra replied. If she said something negative about Mr. Juice's business or product, it might seriously hurt him in the long run. "So… You said that Aang came here often?"

"Oh yes, him and Grandmaster Katara both. Bumi in _particular _quite enjoyed my concoctions, and Tenzin would purchase many, _many_ jars of banana-onion juice to drink later, though I haven't seen any of Aang's kids in quite a while. Tell me, how _is _Tenzin doing these days?"

_***AIR***_

After indulging the juice vendor's curiosity regarding a former customer and quenching their own thirsts, Korra and Zhu wandered around the Little Lower Ring, browsing the many stores within the range of common coffers. At first, it was like a normal-enough outing between friends, but once people began to realize that Korra was the legitimate Avatar, things… got a mite complicated.

And by "complicated", I mean every vendor tried to give Korra freebies in exchange for endorsing their products.

A time or two, Korra was sorely tempted, and it was only through Zhu telling her that the Avatar shouldn't accept bribes that they didn't wind up having to pack home a mountain of random crap.

Though Korra wasn't an Air Nomad, she didn't really see the point in accumulating tons of random crap, even if she _did _have one of the larger dormitories on the island.

Probably came from her abnormal childhood with the White Lotus.

Returning to the Yanyu Fashion Boutique and picking up the early Kyoshi Warrior period-accurate Battle Robes, the two made their way to their next stop.

"Shuang Salon…" Korra said reading the sign aloud as they stood before the storefront, her size-appropriate attire tucked under her arm.

The store walls were a clean white, a green tiled roof jutting out in front, and situated between the large glass windows and green curtains were a variety of makeup kits on display, as well as a number of pure-white busts decorated with actual makeup. To the right side of the door was a chrome-capped glass cylinder with a strangely-hypnotic inner cylinder with lines of red, white, and black. To the left of the door was a life-sized wooden statue of Avatar Kyoshi, standing taller than anyone Korra had ever known and golden headdress just barely scraping the bottom of the roof it stood under, its surface completely smooth with life-like brush strokes, and the face decorated with the iconic Kyoshi Warrior makeuep as well.

"So… This is Avatar Kyoshi, huh…?" Korra mused as she craned her neck to look her previous Earth Kingdom incarnation in the eye, before stooping down to look at Kyoshi's rather _large _set of feet.

"You know, there's this rather _odd _saying that's popped up in recent years about men with 'large feet', but I have no idea if that applies to _women_…" Zhu hummed, looking down at Kyoshi's large feet as well. " . . . _Geez_, Kyoshi really _did _possess the biggest feet of any Avatar."

"And you're sure _this _is the Avatar I should be trying to emulate?" Korra asked.

"Well, you _could _try and emulate Avatar Yangchen, though I doubt _Tenzin _would appreciate it."

"Why not? She's an Air Nomad like _he _is. Heck, if I connect with her, I might finally be able to Airbend."

"Maybe, but… The problem with Yangchen from Tenzin's point of view is that she represents the complete and total _perversion _of the Air Nomad culture," Zhu answered. "In order to maintain the peace during her era, Yangchen completely disregarded the pact of nonaggression she'd previously made. And let me tell you, Yangchen was _brutal_. Aang was _literally _a saint compared to her. Aang went his entire lifetime without ever killing anyone, but Yangchen _literally _killed everyone who stood in her way. Ooh, yikes," he winced.

"Oookay then… I'll just put a pen in Yangchen for the time being," Korra hummed, turning her attention back to the store. "So… Should we go in?"

"Unless _you're _confident-enough to put cosmetics on your face like Kyoshi… I'd be inclined to say 'yes'."

"Alright… Here goes nothing…" Korra said as she stepped forward. Entering the salon, Korra immediately caught the aroma of perfume listing through the air.

None of the women in the White Lotus ever used perfume on-duty, and most wouldn't even bother with makeup because their looks didn't _matter _to them, a sign of strength that Korra resonated with, but in _here_…? It was the most perfume she'd smelled in her entire life.

Passing by numerous reclining chairs where affluent men and women alike were having their hair cut or makeup expertly applied, Korra and Zhu with their "commoners' attire" drew several pairs of eyes to them, even if only for a few moments.

"Oh my gosh! You're the Avatar!" the young woman sitting at the secretary's desk at the far end of the room gasped.

"Yeah, that's me," Korra replied, bending a small tongue of flame and a bit of water so there wouldn't be any naysayers.

"You must be here for your appointment with Ms. Shuang. I'll go get her right now," the young woman said as she stepped into the back.

"You set up an appointment?" Korra asked with a raised brow.

"Had to do _something _while Yanyu was taking your measurements," he shrugged.

"My, my. If it isn't the Avatar herself. Welcome to my humble shop," a new voice greeted them, the two turning to an Earth Kingdom woman of average height with athletic build and impressive legs. Her eyes an amber-green, her skin a dark tan, her dark-brown hair a shoulder length with amber-colored highlights, a pair of realistic-looking pale flower ornaments in her hair giving her a unique silhouette. Her attire consisted of a loose green shirt and dark pants with matching shoes, and an apron to protect herself from any loose cosmetics, of which she used a small amount of. She looked around her mid-30s, with only a small amount of makeup actually present on her features.

"I'm not sure _humble _is the word I'd use," Korra said as she looked around.

"Yikes," Zhu hummed as he looked at some of the prices on the higher-end cosmetics.

"My store might be situated in the Little Upper Ring, but I assure you, I have cosmetics available for _all _budgets. That's why my store is situated right next to the gateway separating the Little Rings," the woman answered in turn. "But please, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Shuang, I'll be serving you today," she said with a bow. "Still, I never would've guessed I'd be helping an Avatar resonate with one of her past lives, though as far as choices go, a strong young woman like you can't go wrong with Avatar Kyoshi."

"Yep. That's… why I'm here," Korra returned.

"Well by all means, step into my parlor. Once we get your warpaint on, we'll get you straightened away," the now-named Shuang said with a smile, gesturing Korra toward an empty seat at the back of the shop.

"A place like this has _war _paint?" Korra asked with a raised brow.

"I have cosmetics from _all _the Four Nations. Or at least those that _use _cosmetics," she answered. "Skin lotions to protect Water Tribe women from the cold, sun screens to protect the skin from the harsh desert sun of the Earth Kingdom, and the latest cosmetics from the Fire Nation. I also have a number of perfumes in stock, though by the way you hold yourself, that isn't really your scene."

"On that, you'd be kind of right," Korra answered as she sat in the chair, which was reclined. "So… What first?"

"First we're going to wash your face and hair; can't very well apply makeup over dirty skin. After that, we'll have you looking the part of Avatar Kyoshi in no time," Shuang said as she began to take the ornaments out of Korra's hair, allowing it to spill down.

"I'll leave you ladies to it then. Korra and I will head back home when you're done. You can send the bill to Councilman Tarrlok," Zhu said with a wave as he walked away, the Avatar whirled around in her seat as she was laid into a specially-made sink, a blast of cold water washing over her hair.

_***AIR***_

Zhu, having picked up a light novel as he and Korra had browsed, stood beside the Avatar Kyoshi effigy as he waited.

Apart from a brief outcry of Korra when some hair product had gotten into her eye, things were relatively quiet. A few of the vendors from before _had _come to pester him about getting Korra to sign an endorsement deal with their shops, since most had begun to assume he was a _manager _of some sort with the way he trailed beside the Avatar, but since he wasn't really in the mood to deal with them right now, he just made up some lie about having to submit all applications for later perusal in triplicate to Air Temple Island.

Zhu _would _of course learn much later that such a lie would backfire…

"Zhu," Shuang said as she stepped out of the doorframe a while later. "I've finished with Korra's cosmetics, and she's almost done changing into her battle robes in the back. Would you like to see her?"

"Well of course I would. It'd be disappointed if I _couldn't _see the Avatar all 'gussied up'."

"Well, just wait right here, then. Korra will be out in a moment," Shuang replied, stepping back into the store.

Zhu, stepping away from the Avatar Kyoshi statue, only had to wait a few minutes more before Korra stepped out into the light of day.

Gone were the blues, whites, and browns of her Water Tribe garments. Instead, they were replaced with the greens, yellows, and brass-like colors of the Earth Kingdom. Apart from the war fans and ceremonial headdress which couldn't be procured on such short notice, with the white, red, and black war paint adorning her features and the golden headband around her forehead, Korra was every bit the spitting image of Avatar Kyoshi.

While it was true that young women (and the occasional man) had been emulating Avatar Kyoshi for centuries, Korra with her build and confident gait put them all to shame.

"So… How do I look?" Korra asked as she tugged at the unfamiliar, heavy layers of clothing covering her body.

"Quite _lovely_, actually."

"L-_Lovely_?!" Korra gawped, cheeks flushing red under her white warpaint.

"Indeed, and I have to say, you cut a _really _impressive figure in that attire," Zhu hummed thoughtfully as he stroked his chin. "If you keep this up, I might just want to marry you for _real _next time."

Korra of course, having absolutely _zero _buffer zone for such teasing, went bright red behind her makeup, raising her foot before sending Zhu screaming up into the air with a feat of Earthbending. At the very _zenith _of his flight, before he could make the rather _painful _trip back down to street level, Zhu was struck by the hood a low-flying police airship piloted by an aeronaut on his first day, the ship sailing wistfully away.

This of course both amazed and horrified passerby who were interested in what the Avatar was doing, their eyes following the airship before all eyes fell upon Korra, various judging expressions present on their faces.

"Uhhhh… _Kyoshi_! What did you just make me do!?" Korra asked as she blurted out the first, and least-damning _(at least to _her_) _thing, that came to mind. "I'm… just going to go after him," she said lifting the hem of her long robes before breaking out into a sprint. "HEY! HEY YOU! GET BACK HERE! STOP THAT AIRSHIP BEFORE YOU KILL MY FRIEND!"

"I CAN'T HANG ON BUT I'M TOO SCARED TO LET GO!"

_***AIR***_

"Korra, do you want to explain to me why I've received complains about a mid-air _collision_?" Tenzin asked tersely once Korra and Zhu returned to the island.

"_Honestly_? No. No I do _not _want to explain," Korra answered with a shrug.

"Well you're _gonna _explain or so help me…!"

"Kyoshi made me do it!" Korra said blurting out _literally _the first thing that came to mind.

She would come to _regret _those words.

"Wha…? _Kyoshi_? As in _Avatar _Kyoshi?!" Tenzin asked with an excited lilt in his tone, his hands gripping Korra's shoulders. "Were you finally able to resonate with your past life? What was it like? What did Kyoshi say to you? What _wisdom _did she share?"

"_You made this bed, so you can just lie in it," _Zhu said as he walked off, rubbing the part of his face where the airship had struck first, cracking his back as he left.

"ZHU YOU TRAITORRRR!" Korra cried as she was left alone with an expectant Airbending Master.

_***AIR***_

Suffice it to say, the next couple of minutes were _very _uncomfortable for Korra.

Not only did she have to disappoint Tenzin by saying she hadn't _actually _resonated with her previous Earth Kingdom incarnation, but _upset _him after he found out she'd _lied _about it just to cover her own ass.

As punishment, Korra was forced to meditate on what she'd done wrong by, you guessed it, _meditating_.

That she'd have to do so _until dinner _made it even _more _unbearable than before since she couldn't simply "get up and walk away" from it once she got bored.

Zhu sitting down beside her after Tenzin finished chewing her out and meditating perfectly was just salt on the wound.

Zhu bending one of his legs behind his head in a show of flexibility?

Completely unnecessary, yet Korra's competitive nature urged her to try the same.

All the Avatar had gotten out of it was falling backwards and giving herself another turtle-goose egg.

"I'm curious. Why the leg?" Tenzin asked cracking an eye open.

"Dunno. Just felt like it," Zhu shrugged as he rolled his ankle.

"Pfft. Showoff," Korra huffed. " . . . Hey, Zhu?" she asked a few minutes later

"What?"

"Do you have some kind of… _relaxant_, that'd help me meditate better?"

"No more tea!" Tenzin asserted quickly.

It took him all _day _to round up the Flying Bison that Korra had scared off, and don't even get him _started _on all the weird places in Republic City they wound up when they went on the Koala-Lamb.

"I don't carry recreational tranquilizers with me, and even if I did, I wouldn't help _you _after what you did to me today," Zhu asserted, flashbacks of his life flashing before his eyes as that airship bore down on him playing out in his mind's eye.

"Oh, c'mon, pleeeeeeease?"

"Tenzin, what is Korra doing?" Zhu asked as the floorboards squeaked beneath him.

"She's making a face and doing something with her lip."

"No I'm not," Korra argued.

"Yes, you are," Tenzin returned

"Am _nooot_," Korra denied vehemently.

"She's giving me the 'Koalaotter Eyes', isn't she?" Zhu asked.

"I _guess_?" Tenzin hummed, assuming aforementioned "Koalaotter Eyes" was a _Water Tribe _thing.

Cause the reference _flew _right over _his _head.

"No, that is _not _what I'm doing," Korra cooed out.

Zhu, against his better judgement, peeked out of one eye to see what Korra was doing.

What he found was the current Avatar looking at him with a lowered chin, upturned eyes, clasped hands, and a quivering lip.

"AHHHHGH!" he cried as his hands went up to his eyes, immediately regretting his actions.

"What's the matter, Zhu?" Korra asked cutely as she blinked up at him.

"Where'd you even _learn _that trick?!" Zhu cried. "I though the White Lotus kept you sheltered like some kind of _recluse_! Or an _Air _Nomad! No offense."

And yet, Tenzin felt offended.

"There _were _some White Lotus women around when I hit puberty. Taught me all the tricks they knew."

"Well, at least you know what _that _is and-WILL YOU _STOP _THAT?!"

"I'll stop it as soon as you _help _me," Korra pouted, dropping the façade. "I mean, c'mon, isn't helping me three-fourths of your current job?"

"Ugh, _fine_, I'll help," Zhu conceded. "But _turn around_! And stop looking at me like that!"

"I'll take this win. Thank you, thank you very much~" Korra replied with a victorious smile on her face.

"Spirits, the things I go through for this girl," Zhu sighed as he kneeled behind Korra. His hands going to her shoulders, the girl immediately bunched-up at his touch, only to get a dopey look on her face as he began kneading the muscles.

"Ohhhhh… Yeah. That's the stuff~" Korra sighed.

"You're relaxing _too much_," Tenzin chided as Korra's shoulders slumped.

"Bite me, I've had a rough day," Korra bit back. "Ooh, ooh, right there. Yeah, _that's _the spot~" the Avatar sighed wistfully as a knot in her neck was eased away like flowing water, her pulse slowing in her veins.

"Geez, you're more wound-up than the watch in a _timekeeper_. Just how stressed _are _you?" Zhu asked as he dug an elbow into a knotted-up muscle in Korra's back, causing it to arch with a yelp.

"Korra, this is your _punishment_. Stop _enjoying _it so much," Tenzin chided, even as Korra got lost in her own little world.

"For the record, I'm not any more-fond of this _either_," Zhu countered as he tried to lean away, only for Korra to grab him by the wrist and drag his hands back into place.

_***AIR***_

That evening, the sun long since setting, while the night watch circled Korra's private cabin, the girl in question peered at them from the shadows for what felt like an eternity as the faintest golden glow of the Pro Bending Arena's spotlights reflected off of them.

After eventually getting a hang of their patrol patterns, Korra leapt from her window and landed in the courtyard in a crouch, her padded boots making nary a sound as she tip-toed into the darkness.

As she entered the forests outside her current home, a voice called out to her in a whisper.

_"Nice night for an escape, _isn't_ it, Korra?"_

"Auugh-MMPH!" Korra yelped as a hand suddenly went to her mouth.

"Hey, did you hear something?" a White Lotus asked from the courtyard, Korra's eyes going wide before she was suddenly tackled to the ground, hand still covering her mouth.

"Yeah, I did… Let's check it out," another answered, Korra's eyes going wide from her place on the ground as she looked up into familiar blue eyes, the slightly-older teen's body laid atop her own, causing a blush to rise on the girl's cheeks as he held her down.

Of course, her hands finding his muscled chest might've _also _had something to do with it.

"Chroo~chroo~ Chroo~Chroo~" Zhu cooed into the courtyard, his free hand raised to his mouth giving it a crooning quality.

"Ah, forget it. Just a Lizard Crow," the first White Lotus said, his robes shifting at the shrug before he and his compatriot turned on their heels and walked off.

Korra for her part remained completely rigid, her brain stalling like a Cabbage Cart engine.

Several seconds later, when the White Lotus finally rounded the corner, Zhu got off of her, clapping the dirt off his clothes.

_"You know… You really _suck _at the whole _stealth _thing. You know that, _right_?" _Zhu asked after a moment. _"Korra?" _he asked as the girl stared up at him from her spot on the ground, the flushing of her cheeks hidden by the shadows. _"Kooorra, you in there?" _he asked snapping his fingers in front of her face.

_"Were you _waiting _out here for me?!" _Korra hissed in a whisper the moment her senses returned.

_"No, I _always _wander around outside girls' homes like some kind of creeper-Of _course _I was waiting for you, you doof!" _Zhu hissed through his teeth. _"So, you wanna tell me what you were doing sneaking out in the middle of the night?"_

_"_You're _so smart. Why don't you tell _me_?" _she huffed.

_"Oh, I _know _what you're doing, but I want to hear _you _say it," _Zhu returned. _"And if you won't wanna talk, I can always bring our White Lotus friends back around."_

_"_ _. . . I was going to sneak out to the Pro Bending Arena," _Korra admitted after a few moments.

_"There. Now was that so hard?"_

_"So… What now?" _Korra asked, deflecting the question.

_"What do you _mean_ 'What now'?"_

_"I mean… Aren't you going to turn me in?"_

_"Tenzin only said _you _weren't allowed to go to the Pro Bending Arena. He never said anything about _me_, and he never told _me _that I had to stop _you _if no-one else did__. If you just so happen to be able to sneak past the contingent of White Lotus circling the island like a flock of Lion Vultures, well… I can hardly be _blamed _for that, now can I?" _he asked with a knowing look as he shrugged his shoulders.

It only took a few moments for Korra to realize what Zhu was doing for her.

"Zhu, you're the _best_!" Korra whooped as she wrapped her arms around him, bringing him in for a crushing Armadillo Bear hug.

"Okay, now I _know_ I heard something that time."

_"Once again, you really _suck _at stealth," _Zhu said with lidded eyes, his feet dangling in the air.

_"Just shut up and come with me," _Korra said as she grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him away from the light, the two of them finding themselves on a cliff overlooking the island, the nighttime lights of Republic City piercing the darkness in the distance, the spotlights illuminating the glistening hide of the Pro Bending Arena even moreso. _"There… That's where we're going to go."_

_"Yeah, just one problem with that,"_ Zhu whispered as he eyed the watery expanse between where they _were_, and where Korra _wanted _to be. _"I can't swim that far."_

_"Don't worry, I've got you covered,"_ Korra returned, a mischievous smile pulling at his face.

_"Korra what are you-"_

Before he could finish that sentence, Korra effortlessly threw him over her shoulder and bolted, a slab of rock jettisoning them from their place on the ground to the night air above the bay.

**To be continued…**

_***AIR***_

**AN:  
Yanyu, Shuang, and Jnjie Jianyu Jinhai/Mr. Juice are OCs I've created to help flush out the Supporting Cast. Mainly since I'm introducing the Little Ba Sing Se Fashion Mall three Books **_**early**_**.**

**As for any **_**other **_**questions you might have… You'll just have to ask them in the Review column.**


	4. A Breath of Fresh Air

**Beenjammin0421: **Very good. chapter can't wait to see what happens next. For reference for continuing the story there's a YouTube video by Lily orchard called The legend of Korra is garbage and here's why. Now despite the title it does give genuine arguments and ideas in order to improve on story. It isn't just him screaming saying that it's trash it's well-written and despite being really long is you're thinking of changing the story maybe you can watch that video and maybe help you give you some ideas on what to do and what not to do.

**NeoNazo356: **I actually _have _watched that video, and that plus me re-watching Legend of Korra through the box set ad-nostalgia was the largest inspiration for writing this story. That and because as I re-watched LoK, I hit a hot streak and managed to come up with Zhu and his backstory, while taking inspiration from The Legend of Korra is Garbage (and Here's Why) to make some _radical _changes to the Canon.  
Compared to stories like Young Justice: The Hunter (Young Justice/Crysis/Multi-Crossover) and Giant-Slayer (RWBY/Multi-Crossover), Chronicle of Zhu is more light-hearted along the vein of my Teen Titans "Elements" series.  
There's going to be a _smidgen _of "dark" amidst the narrative of CoZ, but not "super-dark".  
Once I start deviating from the Canon, I hope to get a more-varied reception.

_***AIR***_

"Korra… I am never going swimming with you. Ever. Again," Korra said as she Bent the bay water of his clothes, while he himself wrung his voluminous hair.

"Oh c'mon, don't be like that. Where's your sense of _adventure_?" Korra asked chipperly as they walked the back halls of the Pro Bending Arena.

"Back in my cot. Alongside the good night's sleep I _would've _been having before you dragged me out here," Zhu answered.

"Hey, if I'd _left _you back there, you would've talked."

"Now that you've dragged me out here against my will, I'm _considering _it," Zhu said as he and Korra passed a large open doorway, the girl stopping in her tracks as she beheld a large gym-like room. It was pretty spartan, but obviously designed with Fire, Earth, and Waterbenders in mind because of the non-flammable construction, the large heavy-hewn nets paired with stacks of Earth Coins, and the large tanks of water in addition to grates in the floor.

"Hey!"

Looking over his shoulder, Zhu spots an aged Earth Kingdom man with tanned skin, pulled-back white hair, clad in a loose-fitting gym uniform stomping over to him and Korra.

"What're you two doin' in my gym?" he demanded.

"Uh, I was just looking for the bathroom and got lost."

'_Oh my fucking god…' _Zhu groaned, palming his face as Korra used what was probably _literally _"the oldest trick in the book".

"Ah, the old 'I had to pee excuse,'" the old man said in a mocking tone. "You know, I'm sick and tired of you kids sneakin' in without payin'! I'm taking you to security!"

"No wait!"

"There you are! I've been looking _everywhere _for you!" an Earth Kingdom teen with swept-back dark hair, light skin, and expressive green eyes clad in a white red-padded uniform said coming into the room. "It's alright, Toza, she's with me."

"Yeah, I'm with him," Korra said quickly, playing along.

"So, you see, we're together."

"Well, not _together_-together, more like friends."

"Right, friends. No, no, I didn't mean to imply-"

"Oh, you _implied _it."

"Ah, I don't care what you are! I got work to do," the now-named Toza grumbled as he washed his hands of the whole thing, raising an Earthbending weight with his Bending.

"Rrright this _way, _miss."

"And thank _you_, sir!" Korra returned. _"Seriously, _thanks_."_

A couple minutes later and the three of them entered an open-air locker room directly overlooking the Pro Bending Arena.

"Whaddya think? Best seats in the house, _huh_?" he asked, Korra looking around in awe.

"Whoa! Uneblievable! This place is even more amazing than I _imagined_!"

"Name's Bolin, by the way."

"Korra," she said breathlessly, still staring at the arena in awe.

"And who might _this _lovely young lady be~?" Bolin asked leaning around Korra's shoulder.

"I… am a _maaan_…!" Zhu said through grit teeth, drawing his knife from his belt and causing Bolin to scream like a little girl.

"EEP! Right! Of _course _you are! Sorry, sir! _Sorry_! Sorry. Sorry…" the green-eyed teen yelped frightfully as the knife gleamed wickedly, a tiny trickle of Shark-Squid blood on the hilt causing his skin to erupt in turtle-gooseflesh.

"_Psst, Bolin," _a voice hissed from a Fire Nation teen in similar armor to Bolin.

"_Yeah?"_

"_I _told _you, you have to stop bringing your crazy _fangirls _in here before the matches. Get 'em _out _of here_._"_

"_Okay, just for the record, that one is a man and he gets _very _testy about that_…_!" _Bolin squealed lowly as he jabbed a finger ever-so-discretely at Zhu. "But, come on, Mako! Right, look, I _kinda _promised her she could stay," he said as his face brightened. "But man, I got a feeling, there's somethin' _special _about her. I know it!" he said grabbing Korra by the shoulder and leading her toward the now-named Mako. "Come here, I want you guys to meet my brother, Mako."

"Mako? _Wow_, I-I heard you playing on the radio," Korra said eagerly, holding out her hand.

"come on, Bolin, we're up," Mako said completely ignoring her.

"…or I could meet him later," Korra said dejectedly.

"Yeah, sorry about that. My brother just gets real… _focused _before a match," he said as he grabbed a helmet with a green stripe down the center, adjusting the chin strap. "Okay, I gotta go. Wish me luck. Not… that I'll _need_ it," he tried to add smoothly as he walked down the extending gangplank.

"Good luck. Knock 'em out!" Korra said excitedly. "Isn't this the greatest?"

"I wouldn't know. This is my first match," Zhu shrugged. "Just… be ready for anything, okay? I'd hate for a stray Earth Coin to turn you into your next _incarnation_, you know…? I just started getting _used _to you."

"Hey, don't worry about that. I got beat up _plenty_ in Earthbending training, yet I _still _look this good," the Avatar said with a confident smirk as she struck a pose and gave him a wink.

"I-I take it you learned _that _from the women of the White Lotus _too_?" Zhu asked, his heart skipping a beat.

"Introoooodducing… the Fire Ferrets!" the voice from the radio suddenly greeted, fangirls and fanboys alight screaming in the spectator stands. "The rookie Ferrets came from out of nowhere and have made it further than anyone expected this season. But tonight, they face their toughest test yet, folks." A moment later and the bell was struck. "And they're off! The two teams waste no time trying to blast each other out of zone one! Hasook is the first to feel the heat of the Tigerdillos! He tries to return the favor, but they're too fast for him, while Mako shows off his trademark 'cool under fire' style! Oooh, the Tigerdillos score with a walloping one-two combo!" he said as Bolin and Hasook were knocked into zone two. "Can their teammate hold on to their zone one territory? Guess not. Mako's over the line!" Shiro Shinobi announced as the line before the Tigerdillos turned green, Mako joining his team at zone two while the 'dillos advanced. "The Tigerdillos get the green light and advance into Ferret territory!"

"Come on, Ferrets!" Korra shouted with a raised fist.

"Looks like Hasook's in trouble! He's in zone three teetering over the drink! And Hasook takes a tip! He'll be back for round two! Assuming the fabulous bending brothers can hold their _ground _until the next round." A moment later and one of the giant tube bulbs serving as the scoreboard turned blue. "Round one goes to the Golden Temple Tigerdillos!"

"Come on, Hasook! Get your act together!" Mako chastised as they met back up in the ring, the next round starting a moment later.

"The Fire Ferrets are knocked into zone two and the Tigerdillos advance!"

Several minutes of pulse-pounding action later and the bell sounds once more.

"The Fire Ferrets cinch the round in the closing seconds! It's one apiece, still anyone's match as we go into the third and final round!"

The final bell sounding, the Fire Ferrets and Golden Temple Tigerdillos exploded into action.

"Hasook stumbles, and now he tumbles right into his teammate! He and Bolin better untangle quick if they don't want to-oh, too late!"

"Oh, no!" Korra yelped, clutching her head in despair as the Earth and Waterbender were sent into the drink.

"It's all up to Mako now! He's bobbing and weaving! He's weaving and bobbing! But he's not nitting back! If Mako's knocked out, the Ferrets' fabulous season if over! He's dancing on the edge of the ring, surviving the three-on-one barrage! It seems his plan is to let the Tigerdillos punch themselves out! And his plan is working! Han is in the pool! They've got nothing left in the tank and Mako is on the offensive! It's two-on-one! Scratch that, it's one-on-one, and it's an earth and fire slll_ugfest_! There's so much smoke and dust from the firefight, I can't even see where the Fire Ferret is!"

Suddenly, Mako emerges from the smoke, a ball of fire blasting the Tigerdillo off the playing field.

"It's a knockout! What a wing-dinger of a hat trick, folks! Mako pulls off the upset of the season, winning the match for the Fire Ferrets!" Shiro announced.

"Woohoo! Yes!" Bolin whooped as they made the way back to the locker room. "One more wind and we're in the championship tournament! So…" he said snapping his fingers and taking his helmet off with a casual flair. "What'd ya think, Korra? Bolin's got some moves, huh?"

"What did I think? What did I _think_?" she asked excitedly as she grabbed him by the collar. "That was _amazing_!"

Elsewhere, Mako was ripping into his Waterbending teammate.

"You did more harm than good out there. You almost cost us the match!"

"We won, _didn't _we?" Hasook asked in an annoyed tone.

"Tch. _Barely_."

"Get off my case, pal!" Hasook growled, slamming the door on the way out.

"Useless," Mako bit out.

"Well, seeing as how _you _let him on _your _team, what does that say about _you_?" Zhu asked, the Firebender rounding on him, before walking away with a huff to his locker.

"You guys were _incredible _out there! Especially _you_, Mr. Hat Trick!" the Avatar gushed excitedly.

"Oh, you're still here?"

"Oh, you're still a _jerk_?"

"Ooh!" Bolin chuckled.

"Anyway… I've been immersed in Bending my entire life, but I _never _learned how to move like that! It's like there's a whole new style out there! Think you could show me a few tricks?"

"Ab-so-lutely!" Bolin chirped.

"Right now? Come on, Bolin," Mako huffed in annoyance.

"_Just ignore him,_" Bolin said softly behind his hand. "Yeah, I could show you the basics. I'm just not sure how my Earthbending would translate to your Waterbending, but we'll figure it out."

"Thaaaats _racist_."

"How is _that _racist?!" Bolin gawped at Zhu's offhanded comment.

"No, he's right. I'm actually an Earthbender," Korra said with a smug grin, crossing her arms slyly.

"I'm sorry, no, no! I didn't mean to assume. 'Cause I, you know, I was just figuring… with your Water Tribe getup… that you are… a Water Tribe… gal," Bolin said tripping over his words; especially after the whole "race" thing.

"Nope, you're right. I'm a Waterbender. And a Firebender," Korra continued smugly.

"Mm. Mm-hmm. I'm very confused right now."

" . . . You're the Avatar, and I'm an idiot," Mako said as he bowed his head.

"Both, are, true," Korra said slightly mockingly.

"No… way…" Bolin said with wide eyes. _"The Avatar!" _he whispered as he shielded his face from Korra while pointing a finger at her.

_***AIR***_

A few minutes later and the party of four had reconvened at the gym; ironically enough, the same one where Korra had first met Bolin.

"That was great! Good power! But, in a _real _match, you'd be a sitting Turtle-Duck. Not so upright and flatfooted," Bolin instructed after Korra's initial volley. "Stay light on your toes, right up until the moment when you need to dig in and strike. Then…" he said as he raised two coins and almost-immediately sent them flying toward the net, "pop, pop!"

"Okay, let me try it again."

Korra, hopping from side to side, then dug in, just for a moment, before throwing two coins at the net, mimicking Bolin's volley.

"Wow! _Nice _adjustment! You're a natural at this."

"Not bad," Mako said aloofly.

"What's it take to _impress _this guy?" Korra asked, slightly down.

"What? I said _'not bad',_" Mako shrugged.

"So… What about you?" Bolin asked turning to Zhu. "You a Waterbender? _Or_! Or maybe an _Earth_bender?" he corrected hastily as he caught sight of the Earth Kingdom garb Zhu was wearing.

"Hmmm… _Dunno_. Does turning the Avatar into a drooling puddle of _goo _count?" he asked with a wry grin.

"Zhu!" Korra squealed, going completely red in the face.

"Now _that_… sounds like there's an interesting _story _behind it," Mako looked up from what he was doing, sounding genuinely intrigued.

"We are _not_… _talking _about this!" Korra squealed, face reddening.

"Yes, yes, very well," Zhu said with a lazy wave of his hand.

"You know what, it's getting late. I think I'm gonna turn in. You kids have fun. Nice to meet you, _Avatar _Korra," Mako said, excusing himself once his interest waned.

"Yeah, been a _real _pleasure," Korra returned sarcastically.

"See ya upstairs, bro."

"Upstairs? You guys live _here_?"

"Yup. In the attic. It's nothin' fancy, but we have some _great _views!" Bolin said with a smile. "So… back to Bending. Why don't you throw that combo one more time?"

"You'd better make it _one _more time. Clock's tickin', and you still got Airbending training in the morning," Zhu said jabbing a thumb at the clock on the nearby wall.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I got this," Korra returned reassuringly, hopping side to side before launching another one-two volley, smiling broadly at her success. "We've got _plenty _of time."

_***AIR***_

The following morning…

"Patience, Korra!" Tenzin said as, the next morning, Korra was once again regurgitated from the maw of the Airbending Gates.

Korra, dusting herself off angrily from where she'd hit the ground, took a deep breath as she sported an annoyed, determined look.

Sprinting into the Airbending Gates oncemore, the Avatar was able to bypass maybe a half-dozen of them before being struck. Jerking back and flailing into a wild spin, Korra was struck, two, three, four more times before she came to a stop in a small, peaceful alcove within the _torture device _surrounding her.

The Avatar _tried _to stay calm, _tried _to remain rational…

A moment later and Korra had the Firebending tantrum to end _all _Firebending tantrums, blasts, tongues, and plumes of fire gushing out in every direction as she absolutely _devastated _the two-thousand-year-old historical treasure.

"That… was a _priceless _antique treasure…" Tenzin gaped, dumbstruck by the wanton destruction in front of him.

The scent of ancient wood and paint put to the flame filling the air alongside the rising smoke, Korra panting heavily as the fires around her lit her visage from below, the next moment a _chill _ran up her spine as a single word crept into her ear.

"Korra…"

Turning her head with a creaking sound, the once-angry expression completely evaporated from her visage as she saw Zhu standing at the edge of the training area, one foot cresting the stairs. As he looked at her, his left eye twitched, a vein throbbed in his forehead, and his long voluminous hair seemingly _rose up _around him.

Had she ever _seen _Zhu this angry before?

Because if looks could kill, she'd have been an _Air Nation _infant right now.

'is how-pissed he looked.

"I leave you alone… to go grab some books on your past lives… for _five _minutes… and _this _happens…?!" Zhu demanded lowly and methodically before erupting into anger, his hands twitching and trembling beneath the pile of old books in his hands. "Tenzin… Cover Meelo's ears and take the girls downstairs. I need to have some rather _choice _words with the Avatar and I'd rather not expose them to such… _vulgarity_," he said rather ominously.

"You heard him, girls! Back to the house!" Tenzin yelped, memories of the chewing-out he'd gotten from Pema still fresh on his mind as he clapped his hands around Meelo's ears, Ikki and Jinora following suit leaving Korra and Zhu alone atop Air Temple Island.

"Zhu… uh… I can explain-"

"First: WHAT!? Second: THE FUCK?!"

_***AIR***_

Every Avatar, in every lifetime, has their cross to bear.

In Korra's case, it was hauling up, from storage, a replacement for _every _Airbending Gate she'd incinerated.

Despite being made of an incredibly _light _variety of wood typically grown at the highest habitable altitudes known to man, the gates being around ten feet tall and around two-dozen in number needing to be replaced, in _addition _to having to be hauled up to one of the highest points on the island… Korra had her work cut out for her.

Zhu was absolutely _brutal _in the "choice words" he had for her as she worked, but Korra at-the-least could admit she _haaaad _gone a tad over-the-line when she'd Firebent her frustrations on the Airbending Gates.

She'd jokingly said that Aang was probably rolling over in his grave when she'd done that, but apparently it was "too soon" to make that kind of joke, if the glower Zhu was sending her was any indicator.

Had the other Air Acolytes been allowed to participate, the Gates would've been replaced much more swiftly, but since Zhu chased them all off saying the Avatar was "paying penance" for her mistakes, she'd spent the rest of the day dragging herself up and down up and down up and down the stairs until she knew every chip, crack, and scuff on every single step by heart.

The sun beginning to set, Korra collapsed into a boneless heap as she set the last Airbending Gate into its slot, the girl moaning as her every muscle protested… _you _know… _Existing_.

"Nowww… What have we _learned_?"

"Don't… Firebend… around really… old stuff…" Korra groaned, the mere act of _speaking _sending shots of pain coursing through her veins.

"What else…?"

"Don't step out of line… when you aren't _around_…?" she said/asked, grouping for an answer that would satisfy the morning-like person standing above her.

" . . . I guess that'll have to suffice," Zhu sighed. Perking up his ears as a bell sounded in the distance, Zhu turned his attention back to her. "Dinner time. You good to walk?"

"I can't feel my legs. Carry me?" she pleaded with quivering eyes as she angled her eyes towards him, too-exhausted to even turn her head.

" . . . Alright. Fine," Zhu sighed. "But don't get any funny ideas."

**Cue – Legend of Korra: Ending Theme**

"Wouldn't even dream of it," Korra sighed, wincing as Zhu planted her bum atop the dais of the Airbending Gates before taking a seat between her legs, draping her arms over his shoulders, and picking her up by the thighs, bowing forward as they took the _long _way down. "You know… you're _really _slender…" she sighed as she leaned into him.

Of course, it wasn't like she had enough strength left to do anything _else_…

"And _you_… are really muscular," Zhu grunted in turn as he adjusted his gait to her weight.

"Hey…!"

"Not saying I don't _like _it," the not-Waterbender returned.

"Oh… Okay…" Korra returned, a light dusting of red on her cheeks.

A tired sigh leaving her lips, Korra let herself hang bonelessly in Zhu's grip. Her face buried in the nape of his neck, his thick lochs formed a curtain around her, briefly isolating her from the outside world, leaving only herself and the odd _earthy _smell he gave off.

"Zhu… I'm sorry…" the brunette sighed as they neared the middle-point of the spiraling staircase of their alternate route.

"It's okay. I forgive you."

"You think _Tenzin _will forgive me?"

"I think replacing those Gates all on your _own _might've smoothed things over."

"Oh… So then… you were looking out for me the whole time?"

"Not really. Those two things just happened to line up," Zhu aid shrugging his shoulders.

"Ow."

"Sorry."

"It's okay. I forgive you too," Korra sighed, a small smile ghosting her face. "You know…"

"Yeah?"

"I can't help but wonder… what my life would've been like if I hadn't _met _you on that boat ride… all those days ago…"

"No point asking questions about 'what-ifs'. If you're faced with two possibilities, the one that _occurs _becomes 'reality'; the one that didn't, just a 'dream'."

"Wow… that sounded… _really _spiritual," Korra awed.

"Maybe. Maybe not," Zhu returned with a shrug.

"Ow."

"My bad."

"I feel like you're doing this on purpose," the Avatar pouted.

"If it makes you feel any better, I'll give you another massage before we sneak out to the Pro Bending Arena tonight."

"You're letting me go?"

"Tenzin never told me to stop you, and if the White Lotus can't spot you leaving your room two nights in a row, that's on them."

"Heheh… You're the best, Zhu," Korra giggled.

She tried to wrap her arms around his neck in a hug, but all she got was a quivering of limp noodles that just-so-happened to be attached to her shoulders.

"I know," the older brunette returned with a smile, her laughter like music to his ears. "Just… Waterbend a _boat _out there, this time."

"Okay… You big baby~" the Avatar cooed.

_***Bonk***_

"OW!" she yelped as he bumped her weary body into one of the stone lanterns at the bottom of the mountain.

"My bad."

"Okay now I _know _you're doing this on purpose!"

"Knowing something, and being able to _prove it_, are two different things," Zhu said with a wry grin.

_***AIR***_

A minute later and the two Water Tribesman arrived just in time for dinner with the family.

Korra was rested-enough that she could sit up by her own power, but her arms still hung at her side like wet noodles after all that manual labor, necessitating Zhu to feed her between feeding _himself_.

"So what did you say to Korra after we left?" Ikki asked excitedly.

"Ask Tenzin when you're older," Zhu returned as he popped a cucumber slice into the Avatar's mouth.

"Why? Can't you tell me _now_?" Ikki asked innocently.

A shake of Pema's head and a stern look sent his way from across the table gave him all the answer he needed.

"Not until you're older," Zhu answered, Pema's glare softening into a sweet smile and a nod. _'Huh. No _wonder _Tenzin can't keep his hands off that,' _he mused to himself, feeling his heart skip a beat.

Moments later, a longing for his _own _mother spilled across his weary heart, and the moment was ruined.

"Tenzin… I'm sorry."

"It's… alright, Korra," Tenzin said after a brief pause and an inhale through his nose. "You're forgiven."

"Thank you. I promise not to do that again."

"You'd _better _not. There aren't enough _originals _left for another full set," Zhu chastised.

"Trust me, I want to haul the two-dozen of those things up those stairs by myself as much as the _next _girl," Korra huffed, the next morsel of food fed to her cutting off further dialogue.

"Oh, Zhu," Jinora spoke up. "Before dinner, I went back up to the Gates to see if you and Korra were finished or not, and I was able to recover _these_," she said holding up the historical biographies on Aang, Roku, Kyoshi, Kuruk, and Yangchen.

"Oh man! I totally _forgot _about those!" Zhu gaped as he took the books back. "Thanks, Jinora! You're the best," he said patting her atop the head.

"Heheh… I try," Jinora giggled cutely, the blush on her cheeks causing Pema to smile a soft, knowing smile.

_***AIR***_

Night had fallen once again, and after an extended massage session immediately following dinner, as well as Bending an entire _bathtub _of Healing Water around herself, Korra was fit-enough to make the trek down to the shoreline.

Zhu, taking point and exchanging pleasantries with any White Lotus in their path while Korra shadowed him from the… well, _shadows_, the two teens succeeded in reaching the shoreline. Making their way to a small grotto facing the southern sea, Korra and Zhu were able to find an old dinghy that'd serve their purposes.

The Avatar, Waterbending a veil of mist around them, was able to conceal their departure while simultaneously guiding the boat away from the island. Korra's arms moving in fluid, graceful motions, raising the mist around them in a veil while guiding the boat among the waves, were especially captivating.

"You know… you really _are _quite beautiful in the moonlight," Zhu hummed, the traces of silver light on her dark-brown skin framing her features quite-nicely.

"Y-Yeah, _right_," Korra huffed, a blush of red on her cheeks as she remembered the _last _time he'd flirted with her. "So… How many times you think we can get away with this before Tenzin notices?" she asked after a moment.

"Don't know. You keep a low profile, and we can probably milk this for a whole _month_. Of course… if any of the White Lotus come by your room and don't find you _there_…"

"Well… Hey, I made _you _come with _me_, you didn't twist my arm into going, so if we get caught… _I'll _take the blame."

"Wow, Korra. That's… really _mature _of you."

"Yeah, well… Maybe this is what Katara wanted for me," Korra hummed, thinking on how much she'd _grown _outside the compound she'd been brought up in. "Did you know I've _never _been Ice Dodging?"

"What, _seriously_?" Zhu asked incredulously.

"Yeah, _seriously_," Korra returned. "White Lotus wouldn't let me out of the compound, I missed the whole thing because of my Earthbending training."

"Hey, that reminds me. How-exactly did you practice _that _in the South Pole? Did you practice on permafrost?"

"No, actually. They actually imported tons of dirt and rocks straight from the Earth Kingdom."

"What about sand? Did you practice bending _that_, or _mud_?"

"No… The Grandmasters wanted me to practice the _'traditional' _forms of bending," Korra answered making condescending air-quotes.

"Well… I've never traveled through the Si Wong Desert before, on account of that place being a giant deathtrap to anyone who _isn't _a raging masochist, but I _have _seen Sandbenders before, and some of what they do is pretty similar to Airbending. Maybe if you branched out into that, you might have an easier time with _Airbending_?"

"Hmmm… _Yeah_. Yeah, that could work," Korra nodded, letting the veil of mist fall away from around them. "Zhu of the Northern Water Tribe, for the wisdom you have shared with me, I, Avatar Korra of the Southern Water Tribe, do hereby bestow upon you the Mark of the Wise," she said in a haughty tone, thumbing a dot between his brow before drawing an arc above in a parody of what would normally follow a successful round of Ice Dodging. "May your words of wisdom be ever… wise," she stumbled.

"Heheh… I shall endeavor to do my best for you, o' revered Avatar," Zhu said in a similar mocking tone, clasping his hands together and bowing at the waist.

At this, the two shared a good laugh, the Pro Bending Arena coming up right as their mood mellowed.

_***AIR***_

"I didn't miss your _match_, did I? You guys look like you _lost _already," Korra said as she saw the state Mako and Bolin were in.

They _had _encountered Toza on the way in, but Zhu smoothed their presence over by telling him that Mako had invited them back, and that they really _had _used the bathroom; before the match.

"We might as _well _have," Bolin sighed dejectedly.

"Hasook's a no-good _no_-show!" Mako bit out angrily.

"You got two minutes to come out ready to play, or you're disqualified," the referee from the other night said poking his head into the room before beating a hasty retreat.

"Well, there goes our shot at the tournament… and the winnings," Mako said bitterly.

"Can't you ask one of _those _guys to fill in?" Korra asked, pointing to the other team in the room.

"Nah. The rules say you an only compete on one team," Bolin answered.

"Well then… how about _me_?" Korra asked, putting a hand on her chest. "I'm a top-notch _Waterbender_, if I do say so myself," she said with a confident smirk, arms crossed.

"But, you're the _Avatar_. Isn't that cheating?" Bolin asked.

"It isn't _cheating _if I only do _Waterbending_," Korra said with a grin.

Off in the background, the other team present looked at Korra and then one another with widening eyes. Before they could say anything however, Zhu stood between them and Korra, a blood-chilling stare sending ice water coursing its way through their veins.

The closed thumb and index finger dragged across his lips relayed the following message loud and clear.

"No way. I'd rather _forfeit _than look like a fool out there."

"Wow, thanks for the vote of _confidence_," Korra quipped sarcastically to Mako's comment.

"Time's up. You in or out?"

"We're _in_!"

"We _are_?"

"Yes!"

"Hey, I didn't agree to this!"

"You can thank me later," Korra said as she opened Hasook's locker and moved to pull her top over her head, a withering stare from Zhu sending the males in the room looking every direction _but _at her.

"This girl is _crazy_," Mako said as he looked at the ring.

"Dude, I _live _with her. You're pretty much preaching to the _choir _on that one," Zhu stated plainly, his back to the Avatar.

"Wait, you _live _with her?!" Bolin gawped as he rounded on Zhu, only to whirl back just-as-quickly as he caught a fleeting glimpse of Korra with no pants on.

"You… saw… _nothing_. You understand me?" Zhu asked as he closed in on Bolin like a Shark-Squid scenting blood.

"_Yessir!"_ Bolin answered in a quivering voice as Zhu's fingers drummed onto his shoulder and dug in, his blood chilling in his veins as Zhu's eyes bore into the back of his skull.

_***AIR***_

Korra for her part was _oblivious _to the fact that she'd disrobed in the presence of a half-dozen guys, but between Korra's position at the back of the locker room and Zhu's withering stare, no one without or within aforementioned room caught more than a glimpse of the Avatar.

For the three Pro Benders of the team Zhu didn't know about, he'd persuaded them that it'd just be better to _forget _what they'd seen, _if anything_. Bolin was _more _than happy to confirm not remembering _any _of Korra excitedly undressing before shimmying into Hasook's Fire Ferret uniform.

A bit baggy in places but still functional, Korra followed Mako and Bolin on the gangplank leading to the stage, the Water Tribe girl sending a wave Zhu's way, who waved more-casually back at her.

"So… You really _live _with the Avatar?" one of the other team asked.

"It's a big island," Zhu said plainly.

" . . . What's _that _like?" another asked in follow-up.

"_Quiet_. Just because I _know _this is going to end in disaster, doesn't mean I wanna _miss _any of it."

"But… she's the _Avatar_."

"And before _that _she's a naïve Southern Water Tribe girl who was kept isolated even from her own _culture _for pretty much her entire _life_," Zhu countered

Sure, he hadn't done the coming-of-age Ice Dodging _either_, but at least _he _had the excuse that _he _was in the middle of the Earth Kingdom and wasn't in any real rush to return to the North after… _things_… happened.

For Korra, the South should've been bending over _backwards _to include her in their culture, and yet they completely glossed over it.

"This… is _not _going to be pretty."

_***AIR***_

"Not" followed by "pretty" didn't even _begin _to describe the travesty that unfolded.

Within the first _second _of the first round, Korra had already received a penalty for sending one of the Platypus Bears sidelong over the ropes.

"Oh. Whoops."

Not even half a _minute _later and Korra was over the line, _literally_, necessitating a move-back to zone three.

"Urgh! I'll show _you _over the line!"

Round Two was _slightly _better… up until Korra blew her cover by Bending two Earth Coins to shield herself from the gout of water and tongue of flame intent on sending her green hide into the drink.

Elsewhere, Tenzin had discovered that Korra wasn't in her room, _and _where-exactly she'd run off to.

"The Avatar will be permitted to continue, so long as she solely Bends water!"

Following that ruling, Korra lasted another minute, two _tops_, and that's _highballing it_, before she was sent plummeting into the drink.

"Oh… Hey, Tenzin. I thought you didn't like _coming _to these matches," Korra said nervously as the Airbending Master stood over her.

At the very least the girl had the decency to look bashful.

One heated exchange of words later and Korra was back in the thick of it for Round Three.

Mako and Bolin forced against the right set of ropes, the two getting hosed metaphorically _and _literally, Korra was all alone in the middle-right of the field, attacks from the three most-common Bending elements battering her until she was forced back into Zone Three, the girl teetering over the edge until, in the deepest part of her soul…

_***Click***_

"Whoa…" Zhu awed as Korra pivoted on her ankles around each and every attack sent her way, the Water Tribe girl making maximum use of her minimum space in a way that was, quite frankly, _breathtaking…_

"Hold the phone! Stop the presses! She's still in the game, folks! And she's moving like an entirely different player! All of a sudden, the Platypus Bears' strikes are only striking _air_!"

'_And heeere comes the Chi Exhaustion,' _Zhu hummed as the Platypus Bears' attacks failed to even _reach _the Bending Brothers, the Fire Ferrets rebounding in a _huge _way.

After that it could only go downhill from there, the Fire Ferrets ripping into the Platypus Bears like a Lion-Vulture into a fresh side of carrion as, one by one, the Platypus Bears were socked and walloped across the stage before being thrown into the drink one after the other.

"What an upset, folks! The rookies, Avatar in tow, have nabbed a place in the championship tournament! I can _not _believe it!"

"Hahaha, yeah! Yes!" Korra and Bolin whooped.

"Korra… what can I say? You _really _came alive in that last round. The way you dodged their attacks… you _are _a natural," Mako said in an apologetic tone, a start contrast to his absolute _dismissal _of her at the beginning of the match.

"Thanks, but I can't take all the credit. Someone _else _taught me those moves," Korra answered humbly.

"Which reminds me, what exactly does _he _do for you?" Mako asked as the three of them neared the end of the gangplank.

"Well for one, _'he' _can hear you. Second, I'm the Avatar's Public Relations Advisor," Zhu said coming back into the fold.

"Yeah… White Lotus kinda… _dropped the ball _with me, so Zhu's helping clean up," Korra replied. "Heck, next to Naga, he's probably my best friend in the whole _world_," she said throwing an arm over his shoulder.

"I'm still unsure whether to be flattered or _offended _about that," Zhu shrugged.

"Sooo… About that _'goo' _thing," Mako began, seeing as how they had a free moment.

"Sorry Mako! Gotta run! Air Temple stuff!" Korra said as she threw Zhu over her shoulder and bolted out the door.

"Hey Korra! Wait up!" Bolin cried as he bolted after her.

_***AIR***_

Surprisingly-enough, no-one disturbed the dinghy Korra and Zhu had taken to the Pro Bending Arena. And of course, seeing as how the Avatar didn't have to juggle a veil of mist and boat-carrying wave, the trip back was infinitely faster; albeit, even _more _harrowing than the quote/unquote "swim" they'd taken on the first night over since Zhu wound up flat on his back and was "too scared to let go" of whatever parts of the boat he could get his hands on.

Pulling into the port at the front of the island, surprisingly-enough, Tenzin was there waiting for them.

"I'm really sorry… about everything I said. I was frustrated with myself, and I took it out on you," Korra apologized once they disembarked.

"I think I owe you an apology too. I was trying to teach you about patience, but I lost mine," the Airbending Master returned.

"No hard feelings?" she asked hopefully.

"Of course not," Tenzin nodded. "By the way, you were really good out there tonight. You moved _just _like an Airbender."

"Wait… You stayed and _watched_?"

"I did. Pro-Bending turned out to be the _perfect _teaching tool for you."

"I'll see you tomorrow for Airbending practice, bright and early!" Korra said with a smile, jogging as she ran off with a wave. "Oh, and by the way, I kinda permanently joined the Fire Ferrets and we're playing in the tournament in a couple of weeks!"

At this, Tenzin could only sigh heavily, taking this unpleasant surprise as well as he was able to.

"I _tried _stopping her, but you probably know how Pig-Bull-headed that girl is," Zhu hummed, giving him a consoling pat on the shoulder.

"The important thing is that you _tried_," the Master Airbender acknowledged.

_***AIR***_

**AN:  
Maybe this is just the nostalgia talking, or just me as a slightly-older viewer watching that scene again now that I know how much **_**work **_**goes into animation, but when Korra did the spiraling motions during her first Pro Bending match, I thought that was pretty fucking breathtaking.**


	5. The Revelation

**anieljesu . gonzalez****: **Good Chapter ;) Your Right Korra Danced Like a Real Airbender Question Have You Read the Books, Comics, ect. Because Legend of Korra Actually Has a Novelization! two books Retells Season 1 Called Revolution & Endgame. Did you Even Know There's Even a New Novel That Features Avatar Kyoshi Called The Rise Of Kyoshi Explaining Her Origins, Might help the Korra/Kyoshi Avatar Link in Story

**NeoNazo356: **I've read the Comics, have an understanding of the Game, but haven't read any of the Novelizations. If I have time I might get around to it.

**Supreme King of all Kings: **"The important thing is you tried." HA!

**NeoNazo356: **Yeah, Tenzin sounded kinda resigned back then, didn't he?

Sorry about the long delay. Time kinda got away from me.

Anyway, I hope you like the new chapter. I promise to try and put out more sooner.

_***AIR***_

"What's the big idea with making me train this early in the morning?" Korra asked in a dismayed tone, standing amongst teammates in the Pro Bending Arena's gym. _"The morning is _evil_."_

"_We're the rookies, _so we get the worst time slot in the gym,_" _Bolin said catching the heavy leather ball thrown his way.

"And _you're _the rookiest of us all. We gotta get you up to speed if we wanna survive in the tournament," Mako said tossing the ball to Korra, telling her to- "Deal with it." -with an irate huff.

"How about _you _deal with it?!" Korra said angrily throwing the ball at Mako, hitting him hard in the gut and flinging him backward in a flip.

"You think _you _have it bad?" Zhu asked drawing attention to himself, the long-haired teen sitting against the wall on a bench. "Try being the one who had to haul you out of _bed _this morning, _and _get you all the way over here in _time _for this little shindig," he groaned as he ran a comb through his tangled-and-matted mane of hair, which fluffed out in all directions not-unlike Toph Beifong's during _her _mornings.

"Hey, when we got to the boat, _I _did most of the work."

"And you fought me every step of the way on the way down to the docks," Zhu said as he rolled his neck, popping the cricks out. "Mako, Bolin, don't you _ever _complain about the company you keep."

"What the heck's _that _supposed to mean?!" Korra demanded.

"I take it she's not the _easiest _person to live with," Mako hummed aloud.

"In not-so-many words, yes," Zhu replied.

"I didn't hear you complaining when we had our _moment_," Korra huffed, arms crossed.

"I got hit by a police _airship _because of you."

"Really? How did _that _happen?" Bolin asked curiously while Korra blushed.

"Now _that _is a story I have to hear," Mako chuckled.

"Not the time!" Korra squawked, praying to any spirits that were listening for a distraction.

"There are my little hard-working street urchins," a new voice suddenly announced.

_'Thank you, spirits.'_

"It's an honor to finally meet you, Avatar," a finely-dressed man, a little rotund at the stomach, greeted.

"And you are…?"

"Butakha. I run this whole Pro Bending shebang," the now-named Butakha greeted with a tip of his hat before turning away from her and outstretching a large wad of cash to Mako. "here's your winnings from the last match," he stated, causing Mako to smile brightly. "Ah ah ah, not so fast. First, you owe me for the Avatar's new gear, gym and equipment rentals from last month, rent on your apartment, and a personal loan for groceries."

By the time all of these deductions had been made, Mako was left with… nothing.

"What? I'm a growing boy!" Bolin argued, patting at his stomach.

"Oh, and one more small items of business: The Fire Ferrets need to ante up thirty thousand yuans for the championship pot."

"Thirty thousand _yuans_?!" Bolin gapwed with wide eyes.

"Sorry, kids. You got 'til the end of the week to come up with the dough, or else you're out of the tournament," Butakha said before walking away, Bolin feebly reaching after him.

"You uh… wouldn't happen to have a secret Avatar bank account overflowing with _gold_, would you?" Bolin asked after he and Mako sulked for a moment.

"Sorry guys, I got nothing," Korra said turning out her pockets. "I've never really needed money. I've always had people taking care of me."

"And trust me, it _shows_," Zhu stated, causing Korra to round on him with a huff.

"Well then I guess that doesn't count as _nothing_," Mako huffed.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"Don't apologize, Korra," Zhu said holding up a hand before jabbing a finger in Mako's face. "Listen here, ash-sniffer. Korra's given up _every _semblance of a normal life to be the Avatar, every rite of passage inherent to her culture, any chance to make friends who don't see the 'Avatar' first, and any vestige of common sense-"

"Hey!"

"-so don't you _dare _take that attitude with her, do you understand me! I don't care _what _excuse you have, I'll shove my foot up your-"

"Whoawhoawait!" Bolin yelped, coming between the two as a tongue of flame danced out of Mako's palm. "You're right, Mako's attitude wasn't really _fair _to Korra-"

"Hey!"

_"Hush now, I'm speaking for you," _Bolin stage-whispered before turning back to Zhu. "It's just… ever since we lost our parents, we've been on our own, so things have been tight for a long time. We only really started getting _ahead _in the world once we got into Pro Bending."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know," Zhu returned, his anger bleeding out of him.

"Moving on…" Mako said zipping up the training balls and putting them away. "How're we going to come up with the money? Thirty grand's a lot of yuans."

"Hey, you think Councilman Tarrlok would be willing to pitch in?" Korra asked hopefully.

"Since this doesn't have anything _directly _to do with your Avatar Training, I sincerely doubt it," Zhu shrugged. "Besides, you shouldn't extort thirty-grand of 'goodwill' out of a person just because you're the Avatar. Even _Aang _had to pay for stuff."

"Well there goes _that _idea," Korra sighed.

"Oh, oh, I got it! I got it! I've been training Pabu to do circus tricks. Now, people would pay good _money _to see _that_!" Bolin said enthusiastically, holding up Pabu.

In turn, instead of words what he received was a "you cannot be serious" expression.

"Come on, Bolin. We need _serious _ideas," Mako sighed.

"I _was _serious," Bolin pouted, Pabu chitteirng softly.

"Don't worry about it. I'll figure something out," Mako sighed as he started to walk away. "I always do."

"So…" Zhu hummed as the two brothers went their separate ways, one guided by blind enthusiasm, the other by soul-crushing pragmaticism. "What do you wanna do now?"

"I don't know… Is there really anything I _can _do?" Korra asked hugging her arms. "Maybe Tenzin would be willing to-"

"Do what? Dip into the Air Nomad coffers which, might I remind you, have _already _been stretched thin by your little stunt back in front of the _phonograph _store?" Zhu asked dryly.

"Well you didn't have to put it like _that_," Korra pouted, tapping her fingers together.

"Look, just leave the money thing up to Mako and Bolin. I know you're really _invested _in Pro Bending, but if the _Avatar _starts going around begging for money, it'll hurt yours _and _the White Fang's reputation."

"What's so bad about asking for a little help? People gave _Aang _money all the _time _back before the end of the war."

"_Aang _always received money for 'services rendered' in a time of _war_. He may've been twelve but he had a broader understanding of it than _you _do _now_. All _you _can do right now is turn city blocks inside out and terrorize pedestrians on your giant beast of burden."

"Gee, thanks for the _confidence _boost," Korra pouted.

"Look, Korra. I'm not doing this to be _mean_," Zhu sighed putting a hand on her shoulder. "I'm just trying to look out for your best interests. Not the _Avatar's _best interests, _yours_. You're only a month into your public career, and any kind of scandal… With things like the radio and the telegraph, anything bad you do will follow you for the rest of your life."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it…" Korra sighed, realizing there really wasn't anything she _could _do to help. She couldn't ask Tarlok for funds especially after their shopping spree, Tenzin's coffers _were _stretched thin, and she didn't have any skills that could be translated into a _paycheck_.

Suffice it to say, the girl's hands were tied.

" . . . It really _sucks_, not being able to do anything."

"Welcome to everyone _else's _world," Zhu said with a sigh. "Come on. Let's get you back to the island. I'll even row this time so you can sulk on the way back."

"I don't _sulk_. I _pout_."

" . . . I don't really see how that's _better_, but whatever," Zhu sighed, heading for where they'd tied off the boat.

_***AIR***_

The day had gone by in a flash, the sun setting in the distance.

Because of the recent epiphany caused by her debut as a Pro Bender, whereas before the Avatar was being beaten black and blue, _now _she was gracefully weaving her way through the Airbending Gates, twirling elegantly through the spinning panels as though she were a leaf in the wind.

Tenzin would be truly proud of such progress.

"Good. Light on your feet!" Jinora cheered as she, Ikki, and Zhu watched, the Avatar resting with her hands on her knees to catch her breath.

Of course, there wasn't any rest for the wicked.

"Oooh, he's _cute_," Jinora cooed as a familiar Firebender crested the stairs. "Korra, is that the handsome Firebender boy that drives you crazy?"

"Does he drive you crazy in a bad way, or does he drive you crazy like you _like _him?" Ikki asked straight-up, Korra glaring at the two in embarrassment before raising the ground beneath the two sisters with a powerful Earthbending stomp.

"Ahem. Oh. Hey, Mako," Korra said playing what'd just happened off, whereas Zhu was scrambling to catch the two before they hit the ground in wide-eyed panic.

"You seen Bolin?" Mako asked curtly.

"Nice to see you _too_," Korra said sarcastically, while off to the back Zhu realized his efforts weren't actually needed. "And no. I haven't seen him since practice. Think something's wrong?" she asked a little more softly, Ikki and Jinora drifting gently into the other Water Tribesman's arms, giggling along the way.

"I don't know. Bolin has a knack for getting into stupid situations," Mako sighed. "See you later."

"Wait. I could, uh… help you _look _for him," Korra offered.

"Nah. I got it."

"Hey. Cool guy. Let me help you," Korra said grabbing his arm. "We can take Naga."

"Who's Naga?"

"My best friend," Korra pointed proudly at herself. "_And_ a great tracker."

One minute later…

"Your best friend is a… _Polar Bear _Dog… Somehow that make perfect sense," Mako said plainly.

"I'll take that as a _compliment_, city boy," Korra said happily.

"Sooo…" Zhu hummed as the four made their way to the docks. "Just what kind of 'stupid situations' does Bolin usually _get to _when you aren't holding his hand?"

"Ugh, all _kinds _of Pig-Bullshit," Mako groaned.

_***AIR***_

If Naga was straining from carrying three full-grown teens, she certainly wasn't making any effort to _show _it, because she'd faithfully carried Korra, Mako, and Zhu throughout the city well into the setting of the sun, the four of them eventually making their way to Central City Station, where a larger-than-life effigy of Fire Lord Zuko in his youth stood before the rail-line system. Despite the street lamps that had been installed since its erection, the statue's upturned hand was still holding aloft a ball of live flame, casting a halo of light around itself.

"I wonder how much it costs to keep that thing _burning _twenty-four-seven," Zhu hummed looking up at it.

"Well, this is his usual hangout," Mako said dismounting after Korra, Zhu following shortly after. "Hey, you guys seen my brother around here today?" he said getting the attention of some roughhousing street kids.

"Perhaps…" the apparent leader of the gang said swaggering over to them. "My memory's a little… 'foggy'," he leaned in while casually rubbing his nose. "Maybe you can help… 'clear it up'?" he offered innocently as he held out a casual but suggestive upturned palm.

Korra scratched her head, Zhu charting this up as something _else _he'd have to enlighten her about, whereas Mako dug into his pocket with an annoyed huff.

"You're good, Skoochy. Humph, a real pro," Mako said as he handed over the bribe, the entire scene eyed by a shocked and disapproving Korra.

"Yeah, I seen him."

"When?"

"Around noon."

"What was he _doing_?" Mako asked a little impatiently.

"H-he was performing some kind of Monkey Rat circus. And then…"

His upturned palm held up once more while glancing to the side casually, before Mako could roll his eyes in response, Zhu glided in right into Skoochy's personal bubble, taking a knee while his hand went to the boy's shoulder.

"Why, Skoochy, don't tell me you're trying to _extort _the poor boy for information," Zhu said amicably as his fingers dug into the boy's shoulder, the color slowly draining from his face as he looked up at the long-haired Water Tribesman. "After all, to do so in such a time of crisis would be _unethical_. You aren't _unethical_, are you?" he asked sweetly, a shudder running up Skoochy's spine as he looked up at the older teen's smiling visage.

"Shady Shin showed up! Flashed some _serious _cash! Bo took off with him in his hot rod!" Skoochy said hastily spilling his guts, Mako nodding his head in appreciation while Korra was oncemore confused by the sudden turnabout.

"Why? For what reason?" Mako demanded as he took a knee next to Zhu, looking Skoochy dead in the eye while Korra stood wide-eyed in the background.

"The Triple Threats, the Red Monsoons, the Agni Kais. All of the triads are muscling up for something big. And that's _all _you're getting outta me!" Skoochy trembled, trying to wrench his way out of Zhu's blood-chilling grip to no avail.

"Oh, come now, I'm sure there's _something _more you can tell us," Zhu said amicably holding up a dollar bill. "After all, we're all _friends _here, aren't we?" Zhu asked slipping the bill into Skoochy's trembling hand.

"Th-The Equalists!"

"What about 'em?" Mako asked.

"I don't know. Us street kids steer clear of them, but even a total _greenhorn _like ponytail there could tell you they're gearing up for something too," Skoochy answered eagerly, Korra huffing in the background as Skoochy ran the moment Zhu slackened his grip.

"You're real good with _kids_, aren'tcha?" Mako asked the moment Skoochy was out of earshot.

"Why of course I am. It's all about coming down to their level and speaking to them as equals," Zhu said sweetly.

"Yeah. _Equals_," Mako said with rolled eyes.

"So… What was he talking about?" Korra asked feeling a little bit lost.

"Sounds like a turf war's brewing. And Bolin's about to get caught in the middle of it," Mako said in a serious tone.

"So, where we headed?"

"The Triple Threat Triad's headquarters. Hopefully Bolin's still there and nothing's gone down yet."

"The Triple Threat Triad? I beat up some of those yahoos when I got into town-"

"And leveled a city block in the process," Zhu added helpfully.

"Why would Bolin get tangled up wit-"

The Avatar's words were cut off as Naga suddenly shot forward, the Polar Bear Dog dashing through the street, taking a sharp right turn in pursuit of a running fire ferret.

"Whoa, Naga!" Korra yelped pulling on the reins to no avail as Naga turned another corner, the Fire Ferret skittering up a street light out of Naga's reach.

"That's Pabu!" Mako said looking up.

"No, Naga! Pabu's a friend, not a snack," Korra chided, finally getting her mount under control. Naga, calming down with her tongue hanging out of her mouth, met Pabu's nose as he climbed down before the snack-sized mammal skittered over onto Mako's shoulder.

"We gotta hurry," Mako said firmly, everyone hopping onto Naga's back before bolting off into the night, Mako providing directions down the many backstreets.

_***AIR***_

"So…" Korra hummed a couple minutes into their ride toward their next destination. "Why the knots on your sword?" she asked looking over her shoulder, eyes landing on the sheathed sword hanging from Zhu's hip, a series of knots connecting the hilt to the scabbard so it couldn't be drawn.

"Because a sword strike… you can't take that back. I'll only draw my cutting edge as a last resort," Zhu answered, drumming his fingers along the handle.

"He's right. No need to escalate," Mako stated. He'd seen it all too well where a mere altercation could turn _deadly _just because someone drew a blade without thinking things through.

It was one thing to _threaten _one another, but to outright draw a _weapon_…

He'd things spiral madly out of control on the streets, so compared to the Avatar's usual bravado, he appreciated her counterpart's use of discretion.

"Still, it's a little weird I didn't notice it until just-now," Korra hummed.

"It's cause I know how to blend into the background. If a bounty hunter can't even be subtle, he'll tip his prey off. Something _you _could stand to learn from."

"Hey, _I'm _subtle!" Korra argued.

"Yeah, as subtle as an Gemsbok Bull in a china shop," Mako huffed.

"What's _that _supposed to mean?!" Korra asked, offended.

_***AIR***_

The full moon hanging in the sky overhead, the party of four eventually found the Triple Threat Triad headquarters after taking many twists and turns to an unassuming hole-in-the-wall restaurant, well away from prying eyes.

"Something's not right," Mako said as he cautiously approached the door. "There's usually thugs posted out front. We better be cautious," he said lowly as he peered into the door window, signaling Korra and Zhu that it was safe to come up. As the Firebender slinked back into the shadows, Korra casually strolled forward before booting the door straight off its hinges, the door hitting the restaurant's interior with a resounding _***CRASH!***_

"Geez, Korra, you think anyone in the _Fire Nation _managed not to hear you?" Zhu asked irately as his hand went to the sword on his hip, thumbing the knot just in case Korra had managed to kick the Buzzard Wasp's nest.

"Bolin! You in here?!" Mako cried out, seeing as how all forms of subtlety had succinctly gone out-the-window.

A truck engine roaring outside, the trio of teens burst through the also-empty kitchen and into the back alley behind the restaurant. The doors bursting open before them, the three of them were just in time to see Bolin, Shady Shin, and a number of others in the back of a truck tied and gagged, surrounded by figures in tight-fitting outfits, masks, and green lensed goggles, the doors closing a moment later as Bolin looked up pleadingly at them.

"Bolin!" Mako called out as they gave chase after the masked individuals peeling away, only for a trio of grenades to be thrown at their feet, a wall of acrid smoke spilling upward.

"Naga! _*Cough* _Come!" Korra called out as she was pulled away by the smoke, the three teens quickly hopping onto the Polar Bear Dog's back and rushing through the cloud of smoke, breath held as they turned to follow the taillights of the motorcycle that'd vanished around the corner ahead of them.

The quartet in pursuit, Mako sent a fire blast at one of the masked motorcyclists, only for him to swerve and avoid it. Korra brought up her arms and sent a fissure racing up the street after them, only for the next motorcyclist to dodge and jump the ramp Korra had made in front of them. Zhu, with no ranged abilities to draw upon, could only sit and wait as the alley emptied out into an open square, three of the motorcyclists pulling back before one of the riders threw a bola at Naga, her front legs tied sending the riders flying through the air and onto the ground right alongside her.

"Well…" Zhu hummed as the three masked figures who'd stayed behind to deal with them dismounted their motorcycles. "_That _was far from graceful," he said dusting himself off, the three pairs present preparing to square off.

The masked female ran at Korra who ignited her right fist and sent a large fire blast at the incoming attacker. The masked woman elegantly avoided the blast by jumping over it, twisting several times in the air before engaging in hand-to-hand combat with the Avatar. The masked woman aiming for her head, Korra diverted the attack with her left hand and retaliated with a fire blast, her opponent ducking underneath it before locking arms with Korra, the Avatar throwing another fire punch with her free hand only for her opponent to lean back and knock Korra's hand to the side. Korra turning the momentum into a full moon fire kick, had her attack dodged before she aimed a high fire kick at her opponent's head, who reciprocated by curling her leg around the Avatar's and pulling it down. The next moment four quick punches were delivered to the Avatar's exposed side, the Avatar staggering back as her side went numb, eyes wide as she wonderd what happened to her.

Bewilderment changing to determination, Korra madly charged once more with her left hand ablaze, the masked woman avoiding the blast, flipping over the low-aimed fire arc, and jumping to avoid a fire blast aimed at her feet. The two women running at one another, Korra fired off two fire blasts which were dodged.

Elsewhere, Mako grunted as his own attacker immobilized his right arm, before aiming a wide fire-fueld swing at his opponent, only for him to duck under it and twirl behind Mako's back, the Pro Bender getting struck several times in his unguarded flank, right around the same time as Korra before she was sent flying backward by a double-kick, she and Mako going down like a sack of bricks.

At that very moment, the sound of a loud _***THWACK* **_followed by a _***THUD* **_sounded across the square, drawing the two masked figures away from their quarry and back to their remaining comrade.

Said comrade had been laid out on his back, head lolled to the side from what appeared to be a pommel strike to the chin by the still-sheathed sword that Zhu was wielding, the long-haired teen looking no worse for wear than when he'd started. A stark contrast to his friends who were laid out on the ground by Chi Blocking.

The two Chi Blockers ignoring the two incapacitated Pro Benders, they immediately split off and penned Zhu between them on both sides, each of them in readied stances while Zhu hopped lightly in place, his arms dangling at his sides as he held the scabbard of his bound blade in his right hand.

The Chi Blockers diving at him, the one on the Zhu's right aimed high while the one on the left aimed low.

Zhu, whirling around not unlike an Airbender, intercepted the low-aimed blow with a swipe from his scabbard, briefly crossing arms with the high-aimed blow and turning the Chi Blocker's hand up and away from his shoulder. The two Chi Blockers alternating the intent of their strikes, Zhu continued to use his sheathed blade not unlike a quarterstaff, alternating between blocking with it and his hands, parrying blows and at times whirling _through _them, his hair whipping in the wind as he rained a cyclone of light blows their way as he passed.

One of the Chi Blockers retreating and throwing a bola while the other advanced, Zhu leaned back until he was standing on his hands, flipping his feet upward and catching the bola around one ankle, spinning like an Airbender following his flip and lashing out with a spinning high-kick that caught the charging Chi Blocker in the shoulder, the bola wrapped around the one ankle adding weight to the blow.

As the struck Chi Blocker stumbled to the wayside, Zhu wrenched a grenade from his belt and chucked it between him and the far-off Chi Blocker, raising up a thick cloud of green smoke. The Chi Blocker readying himself for an attack, was unprepared for the flying pommel strike that came at him like a javelin throw through the colored smoke. The long-haired Water Tribesman leaping up through the smoke and catching his sheathed blade in mid-air, the Chi Blocker righted himself and aiming high only for Zhu to drop down out of range, bringing the end of his sheath down on the Chi Blocker's little toe, causing her to hop on the other as pain lanced up her leg.

Another bola shooting through the smoke, Zhu raised his pommel up and caught it, whirling around before chucking it back and to the left, catching the Chi Blocker who tried circling _around _the colored smoke.

Zhu maneuvering himself over toward the downed Korra and Bolin as the two Chi Blockers regained their composure, took a readied stance with his sheathed blade while the two Chi Blockers hurried up to him, getting in their own stances, but at a distance.

"Don't even bother," he huffed at them. "I learned the _good _shit from Kyoshi Island; this second-hand crap won't get past _me_," the Water Tribesman said with an amicable smile.

However, even as he was saying all this, his body remained tense, his feet ready to move and the scabbard of his sword bouncing lightly in his hand.

The two Chi Blockers, battered and bruised, slowly backed away to the last of their comrades. Seeing the pseudo-sword fighter making no move to pursue them, the unconscious Chi Blocker was thrown over the back of one of the remaining bikes, the two drivers peeling away a few moments later once it was evident he wasn't going to attack them with their backs turned.

" . . . _Whew_. Good thing those guys were such Chicken-Pigshits," Zhu sighed audibly once they were out of sight, his shoulders slumping as he wiped his arm across his brow. "I don't know how much more of that I could've dished _out_."

"Zhu…" Korra grunted as Naga helped her to her feet. "You never told me you could _fight _like that," she said in a bit of awe, impressed he'd been able to repel _three _people who'd incapacitated her and Mako one-on-one.

"That's because you never asked."

"Oh…" Korra hummed as she got her feet back under her. "And you never said _anything _about going to Kyoshi Island before," she said eyeing her hands.

"You didn't ask about _that _either," Zhu replied with a shrug.

"Hrrrmmm!" Korra huffed, pouting at him before punching out at the air. "Ugh, I can't bend," she grunted as she tried again. "I can't bend!" she panicked.

"Calm down, it'll wear off," Mako said rubbing at his arm. "Those guys were Chi Blockers. They're Amon's henchmen."

"Amon? That anti-Bending guy with the mask?"

"Yeah. He's the leader of the Equalists."

"What do they want with the Triple Threats?"

"Other than the fact that they're _criminal Benders _you mean?" Zhu asked sarcastically.

"_Whatever _it is, it can't be good," Mako groaned, his hand going to his forehead. "Urgh, I can't _believe _Bolin got himself into this mess!"

"Mako…" Korra said putting an assuring hand on his shoulder. "We're going to save your brother. I promise."

"So… What now?" Zhu asked as Naga sniffed around where the Chi Blockers had made their escape, only to whimper and lay down, her hands going to her shout. "To Naga, this whole city has to smell like exhaust fumes. I don't think she'll be able to find Bolin so-easily."

"The only thing we _can _do. We keep searching," Korra answered, Zhu giving them a leg up as they hopped atop Naga's back, the long-haired teen taking the reins as they leaned into his back, too exhausted from the Chi Blocking to lead the ride themselves.

_***AIR***_

The rest of the night they'd searched had been a complete bust. The cobblestone roads were too worn to follow any sort of tire tracks, and the Chi Blockers had beat a retreat after leaving their sight, so whatever eyewitnesses there were weren't much help either.

After combing as much of the city as they were able to before fatigue got to him, Korra suddenly stumbled upon an idea, the four of them making their way to Avatar Aang Memorial park where the three of them laid against Naga's flank in the shade of a large tree.

Their only lead wouldn't show up for another few hours, so they decided to get some rest, though immediate slumber eluded them.

"So… Why _is _Bolin running around with the Triple Threat Triad _anyway_?" Korra asked about the thing that'd been bugging her.

"Well, we… We used to do some work for them back in the day," Mako answered uncomfortably.

"What? Wha- Are you some kind of _criminal_?"

"No! you don't know what you're talking about. I just ran numbers for them and stuff," Mako defended angrily. "We were orphans out on the street; I did what I had to do to survive and protect my little brother."

"I'm sorry…" Korra returned sympathetically. "It must've been really hard. Can I… ask what happened to your parents?"

"They were mugged, by a Firebender. He cut them down right in front of me. I was eight years old when it happened," he said pulling his scarf over his mouth. "Bolin's the only family I have left. If anything happened to him…"

" . . . Get some sleep, you two," Zhu said pulling a rolled-up blanket off of Naga's saddle. "We won't be any good to Bolin tired and exhausted."

To the two exhausted Benders, that sounded like the best idea they'd heard all night.

_***AIR***_

"Equality now! Equality now! We want equality now!" the voice of a megaphone cried out, rousing Korra and Mako from their slumber. The two, noticing they were leaning into one another, quickly recoiled in horror, scrambling away from one another in embarrassment.

"Agh! My nuts!" Zhu cried out as Korra's hand palmed the weak spot between his legs.

"Sorry! Sorry, I'm sorry!" Korra apologized as Zhu doubled over. "Do you… want some Healing Water?" Korra asked as she tugged her Water Skin from Naga's saddle.

"No… No, I'm fine…" Zhu grumbled as he got up, still cupping his tender area. " . . . Looks like our lead showed up," he said looking up at the protester he and Korra encountered on day one. "You two go do… _whatever_ it is you're going to do, I'm… just going to stay here and recover," he said leaning into Naga's side, the Polar Bear Dog rubbing her muzzle against his back consolingly.

_***AIR***_

As it would turn out, leaving the Avatar unsupervised for even one _minute _had proved to be a mistake on Zhu's part.

The protester she and Mako had interrogated apparently had a long memory, because when Korra made her presence known to him, the man was _far _from cooperative. The most that Mako was able to get out of the exchange was information on some so-called "Revelation" that night at nine o' clock, and that was only _after _the Avatar sent the man's table careening upwards with an Earthbending-powered half-moon kick.

The protester calling for a constable as the Avatar held him up by the front of his shirt, Zhu had recovered enough to swing Naga around and extract the two before the Avatar could have _another _run-in with the law.

Though by the way he was groaning as they'd made their escape atop Naga's saddle, the aftermath of Korra's unintended assault on his most tender of areas was still lingering.

_***AIR***_

"Thank you, Korra. I appreciate this," Zhu sighed as they all stood in an unoccupied trolley stop, a Waterbent block of ice wrapped in a cloth serving as an improvised ice pack resting between his legs as Mako poured over the leaflets scattered across the floor.

"You're welcome, and… _sorry _about this morning," Korra apologized.

She'd never been kicked between the legs herself, but based on how the men of the White Lotus reacted whenever they'd gotten "nut shot" in the course of her training, it was obvious it hurt quite a bit.

"So… any luck?" she asked turning back to Mako, seeing as how the fliers didn't have anything like a location listed. Even the _meeting _time was just word-of-mouth.

"No, and it's not like they'd just _advertise _where this big '_Revelation_' is occurring," Mako huffed pensively as he turned the fliers over. "The information has to be _hidden _somehow, which means there'll be some kind of _clue_-"

"Found it," Zhu said plainly as he held up one of the fliers back-first, against a nearby map of the city, the red _mystery dot _plastered on the edge of the Industrial Sector by the water.

"Wow, Zhu, that was so _fast_!" Korra awed with wide eyes. "But… How'd you know they'd be like that?"

"I spent around a decade travelling the Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and South Pole. Trust me, I know what a _map _looks like," Zhu returned with a roll of his eyes as he gestured to the collection of roads and city blocks as-illustrated.

"Wait, you've been to the _Fire Nation_?!" Korra gawped. "Why didn't you _tell _me!? And don't tell me I-"

"You didn't ask."

"I _told_ you not to _tell_ me that!"

"Technically, I cut you off before you _could_."

"Well I was _gonna_-"

"Enough!" Mako bit out cutting them off. "We know the where and the when. All that's left now is getting ready, and hopefully, getting Bolin back."

"Alright. Good luck with that," Zhu nodded as he turned on his heel.

"Wait, you aren't coming _with _us?" Korra asked with confused eyes as he walked away.

"Korra, you didn't go back to the temple last night, and Tenzin will have a _fit _the next time he sees you, _sooo_… I kinda have to head back and smooth things over with him," Zhu answered. "I'll try to catch up with you guys, but don't hold your breath waiting for me. I might not be able to catch up in time."

"You will if you take _Naga _with you," Korra said holding out the reins.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but it's better if _you _take her," Zhu said shaking his head. "We don't know what these Equalists want with Bolin, but whatever it is, I can easily imagine you guys needing a speedy _getaway_. And I doubt Naga can carry _four _of us," he said glancing at Naga, the Polar Bear Dog nodding appreciatively.

"That makes sense," Mako nodded. "Don't you worry about a thing. I'm sure Korra and I can handle this."

"Right," Zhu nodded. "Korra, why don't you study those maps for a minute, plot out an escape route? I need to have a word with Mako before I leave."

Korra, nodding her head as she turned to the map, left Zhu unobserved as he snaked his arm around Mako's neck and pulled him next to him.

_"Now you listen to me and you listen _good_…!" _Zhu bit out with narrowed eyes. _"If I find out that _anything _happened to Korra on your watch, I will _end _you. There won't be anywhere on this planet I can't _find _you, and no-one will ever find the body after I _get _to you. Do I make. Myself. Clear?"_

_"C-C-Crystal!" _Mako yelped as Zhu's cerulean eyes bored into him, his blood chilling in his veins as Zhu's fingers dug into his shoulder.

"Good! Then we understand one another?" Zhu said with a warm smile as he stepped away, Mako feeling the heat returning to his fingers and toes. "Korra, you take care! And remember! Less is more!" he called out over his shoulder as he hobbled away, ice pack returning to his groin after their exchange.

_***AIR***_

" . . . What did Zhu mean when he said 'less is more'?" Mako asked as he and Korra dug through the bin of a resale clothes store.

If they were going to infiltrate whatever this "Revelation" was, they couldn't run the risk of standing out in case anyone recognized them from the Pro Bending arena. As high-profile Benders, they'd obviously stand out if they arrived as-was.

"Oh, just something from one of his lectures after I 'leveled a city block'," the Avatar sighed, picking a decent-enough hat to hide her iconic ponytails. "Said I didn't need to 'go crazy' to wreck someone's shit. That and something about 'Chi Expenditure'."

"Well, to be fair, he _is _right about that last part. Whole reason the Platypus Bears lost to us was because they didn't pace themselves and ran out of Chi. No Chi, no Bending," Mako said as he found a decent-enough overcoat.

"Yeah, I guess you're right…" Korra admitted, finding an overcoat of her own. " . . . Don't worry," she said as she noticed his somber expression. "We'll get him back."

"It isn't getting him _back _that I'm worried about. It's the shape he'll _be in _when we _do _get to him," Mako said ruefully, digging some Yuans out of his pocket. "We'll take these."

_***AIR***_

The following evening, five before nine, Korra and Mako has sufficiently disguised themselves in their second-hand clothes, a slight smattering of dust on their faces giving them the look of a lower-middle-class couple as they made their way to the factory from the flier. Mako had been a little annoyed when Korra linked arms with him and drew in close, but apparently her assertion about them drawing less attention that way was true, because the doorman had let them in quite amicably after they figured out what "invitation" they needed to get in.

_"I knew a lot of people hated Benders, but I've never seen so many in one place," _Mako whispered as the two of them entered the empty factory floor, a lit podium and stage built against the back wall. _"Keep your eyes out for Bolin."_

A moment later and the flood lights illuminated the stage, the hushed muttering that'd hidden their own conversation dying down.

"Please welcome your hero, your savior," a voice said over the PA as a trap door in the stage opened, the masked man from the posters being raised up on a hydraulic platform and into the spotlight, accompanied by six other Chi Blockers, one of which had an exposed mouth and more-advanced gear. "AAAAmooonnn!"

To say that Amon received a hero's welcome would be an understatement, but a raised hand from the masked figure was enough to quiet the masses.

"My quest for equality began many years ago," he began as he took the microphone out of the stand, holding it closer to the mouth slat on his mask. "When I was aboy, my family and I lived on a small farm. We weren't rich, and _none of us_ were Benders. This made us very easy targets for the Firebender who extorted my father. One day, my father _confronted _this man, but when he did, that Firebender took my family away from me, and then… He took my face."

At this revelation the audience let out a collectively shocked gasp.

"I've been forced to hide behind a mask ever since," he said with a pause, letting the audience ride out their gasps of astonishment before continuing once more. "As you know, the Avatar has recently arrived in Republic City," he continuedthe audience letting out boos prompting Korra to hide her face in the scarf she'd borrowed from Mako. "And if she were here, she would tell you that Bending brings balance to the world. But she is wrong. The only thing Bending has brought to the world is suffering. It has been the cause of every war, in _every _era," he said pointing repeatedly toward the audience. "But that… is about to change. I know you have been wondering, 'What is the Revelation?' 'How can you possibly oppose our Bending overlords?' Well tonight, you will get your answer," he said as he continued to play the crowd. "Since the beginning of time, the spirits have acted as guardians of our world, and they have spoken to me. They say that the Avatar has _failed _humanity, and that is why the spirits have chosen me to usher in a new era of balance. They have granted me a power, that will make Equality a reality. The power to take a person's Bending away… _permanently._"

At this, even _more _shock erupted from the crowd.

_"That's impossible… There's no way…"_ Korra gaped.

_"This guy's insane…!"_ Mako bit out, but in a more-hushed tone so those nearby wouldn't hear him.

"Now, for a demonstration. Pease welcome, Lightning Bolt Zolt," Amon announced as an Equalist guard led in a finely-dressed man with graying hair onto the stage. "Leader of the Triple Threat Triad, and one of the most-notorious criminals in Republic City," he said as the man was unceremoniously brought in, the crowd booing loudly at the Bending oppressor's presence.

"Ah, boo yourself!"

_"There's Bolin,"_ Mako whispered as the Equalist guards led in four more Benders and forced them to their knees, one of which was Bolin who looked anxiously around with a scared expression on his face.

_"But we can't fight them all. We need to be _smart _about this_._"_

Even someone as headstrong as _Korra _knew she couldn't fight this many people.

Not without it turning into a complete _bloodbath_, even if they _did _manage to get Bolin out of there.

_"So… you got a game plan, captain?" _Korra asked.

While Mako, not wanting to rush into anything formulated a plan, to Korra's shock, Amon actually had Zolt _released_, saying he would give the man a chance to fight for his Bending "in the interest of fairness".

Korra, humbled by her own defeat at the hands of ordinary Chi Blockers, wasn't as-shocked as those around her when Zolt was soundly defeated, the crackling lighting escaping his final assault changing into a blast of flames before going out entirely.

"Wha… What did you do to me?" Zolt asked in shock as his next assault came up empty.

"Your Firebending is gone. Forever," he said to everyone's shock and amazement. "The era of Bending is over! A new era of Equality has _begun_!"

_"Any ideas yet?"_ Korra asked harshly as the next lamb was brought before the slaughter, the crowd cheering wildly around them.

_"I think so. You see those machines? They're powered by water and steam. If you create some cover, I can grab Bolin without anyone seeing. After that, we get the hell out of dodge."_

_"Works for me. Sounds like the sort of 'less is more' approach Zhu would be _fond _of," _Korra said with a nod, wishing him luck as she made her way through the crowd, Shady Shin having his Bending stripped away by the time she was out of the room.

Mako, making his way to the front of the stage with equal fervor to several others, albeit with severely different motivations, could only watch as another two gangsters were brought lot, Bolin mere moments away from following suit, Mako's blood surging through his veins as he wondered just what the hell was taking Korra so long with that distraction.

Bolin a scarce moment away from being untied, Amon's attention shifted to the opposite side of the stage as a man hunched over, covered head to toe in a tattered cloak and rags, suddenly hauled himself up onto the stage much to the consternation of those around him.

"Wait," the figure wheezed, his tone sounding weathered and old, drawing all eyes onto him. "Don't take his Bending away just yet."

"So, a Bender has infiltrated the Revelation and intends to stop me, does he?" Amon questioned, the audience in the hall booing loudly.

"No," the robed figure returned. "On the contrary, I want the exact opposite. I _want _you, to take my Bending away."

At this, shock and awe spread through the crowd instead, the eyes of the Equalists on-stage widening at the admission.

"And why would you _want _to have your Bending taken away?" Amon questioned, a brow raising behind his mask.

"Because… I am a _Bloodbender_," the hunched-over man wheezed out, the shock that once dominated the room turning to _fear _at this admission.

"A _Blood_bender…!" the man with the thin mustache gasped, Amon shifting where he stood.

" . . . My entire life, this accursed power has brought be nothing but pain and suffering," the hunched-over man began. "I've wanted nothing more than to _rid _myself of this ability, travelling the world in search of _something _that could free me from this curse. And then I found you," he continued. "Witnessing how… _immature _the new Avatar was, I'd almost lost hope on having my Bending taken away like Ozai's was, but then I saw you, saw what you could do, and realized, I had finally found the answer I had been seeking."

"Then why wait until _now _to present yourself?" Amon questioned, the Equalist standing behind Bolin taking everything in, the Earthbender momentarily ignored much to his own relief.

"After you stripped away Zolt's Bending, I still had a hard time accepting the _veracity _of your claims. But once you repeated the process thrice more, I realized your power _was _the real deal. That you _could _take this accursed Bending away," the tattered figure said looking down at rag-wrapped hands. "That is why I'm standing before you now," he said dropping down to his knees, head bowed and palms upturned. "O great and powerful Amon, I beseech you. Please, take away this accursed power coursing through my veins, so that my long journey may finally come to an end."

_"What?" _Mako gaped at the scene playing out before him.

Learning that so-many people _hated _Benders was one thing, but to learn there was someone out there who _wanted _their Bending taken away, was another matter altogether.

The fact that this old man was a self-proclaimed _Bloodbender _was just icing on the cake, since the last-known practitioner was Yakone, and _he'd _vanished _decades _ago.

'_Could this person be Yakone himself?' _Mako found himself asking, since no body had ever been found after his escape.

"You appear to be quite old, o wise elder," Amon said amicably. "Tell me, why didn't you simply ask the _previous _Avatar to take away your Bending? You're certainly old-enough that you could've brought this up with _him _when he were still alive."

"Believe me, I had tried," the old man answered. "After what he did to Yakone in order to end his reign of terror, I had approached him, on hand and knee as I am now before you. However, the Avatar said to me, that because I had committed no crimes, he had no reason to take my Bending away."

"Then wouldn't it have been a simple matter to _commit_ such a crime? To even _attack _the Avatar and force his hand?"

Even with all Yakone had done, all _Ozai _had done, the previous Avatar had never taken a life; a well-known fact among the people he protected, and his enemies as well.

"That's the problem with being a Bloodbender," the old man said spitefully. "When you can do what I can do…" he said raising up a crooked finger at one of the Equalists in attendance, the masked man suddenly shooting up ramrod straight against his will, much to the shock of those nearby as he levitated an inch above the ground, "it's always _too _easy…" the old man finished as he lowered his hand, releasing the Equalist from that accursed power, the man's hands going to his chest as he panted heavily inside his mask, even to the point that he had to remove it just so he could get enough air after that terrifying ordeal. "I'd already committed enough sins in my life, I refused to commit another, even _if _it would free me from this curse."

"And I take it by the time you decided to antagonize the Avatar in order to get what you'd wanted…"

"He was already gone. Yes," the old man nodded, finishing Amon's statement. "The Avatar… the _current _Avatar… She is as old as my own _grandchild_ would've been if she were still alive, so I cannot bear the thought of raising a hand even against _her_. That is why I come before _you_, praying that before I die, even if only for a _moment_, I can be freed from this curse."

At this, silence reigned throughout the assemblage, people muttering in hushed tones, speculations running rampant from the old man being Yakone himself, to the death of his granddaughter being somehow related to his Bloodbending; whether or not he was Yakone notwithstanding.

And these were just the _tame _subjects circulating through the rumor mill.

" . . . I see. Very well then," Amon said after a pause, momentarily taken aback by the conclusion of figure's tale.

Amon, stepping forward, the Equalists and Equalist sympathizers staring transfixed, watched with baited breath as Amon _gingerly _grasped the back of the man's neck with one hand. Gingerly peeling away some of the bandages from the man's brow to preserve his identity, Amon raised his free hand upward, slowly, almost methodically bringing it down.

Only… he didn't.

" . . . Well? Did I blink and miss it?" the rag-covered man asked after several moments, a bit of crotchety impatience shining through.

"No, you have not missed anything. Because I have decided not to take your Bloodbending away after all," Amon returned as he walked back to the center of the stage, causing confused mutterings to spread through the crowd.

"What?! Why would you deny me the release I'd been seeking for so long!?" the robed figure demanded, grasping at the back of the masked man's coat on bent knee.

"Because like myself, you too were given your powers by the Spirits, and those powers, were given to you for a _reason_," Amon spoke, his voice as smooth as silk. "There will be a time and a place, where someone can only be saved by _your _Bending power, and when that time comes, everything will be made clear."

"So you would have me endure this suffering for even longer?"

"I only ask that you have faith in the spirits who _granted_ you such tremendous power," Amon spoke in an almost admiratory tone, the guard who'd been Bloodbent moments before still recovering. "If in time, you feel you can no longer bear this burden, then seek me out once more, and I will remove what you perceive to be a _curse _from you. The Equalists will welcome your decision with open arms."

" . . . I understand…" the robed figure stated, slowly rising to his feet and dropping off the stage, the crowd parting before the Bloodbender in their midst, whom Amon had _spared_.

A moment later the machineryon the left wall ruptured, a wall of steam spilling into the air, blanketing everything in white.

_'Korra needs to hear about this, but Bolin comes first!' _Mako thought as he burst into action, the distraction on-stage buying him that extra minute of time he'd needed.

_***AIR***_

The moment Korra returned to Air Temple Island, she found Tenzin waiting for her, alongside a contingent of White Lotus.

"Thank goodness. I was just about to send out a search party," Tenzin sighed in relief as he put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright?" he asked, Korra turning away from him and shaking her head, grabbing at her arms. "Korra, what happened? Did you find your friend?"

"Yes. I did, but… I was at an Equalist rally. I saw Amon."

"What?" Tenzin asked, shock written clearly across his face.

"He can take people's Bending away. For _good_."

"That's… that's impossible… Only the _Avatar _has ever possessed that ability."

"But I _saw _him do it. With my own eyes!"

"I believe you. I don't know how Amon has achieved this power, but this means the revolution is more dangerous than ever," he said as he looked out at Republic City, his brow furrowing in worry. "No Bender is safe."

"There's one more thing…" Korra said nervously, rubbing at her arm. "There was a _Blood_bender at the rally too."

"Wh-What?!" Tenzin gaped, his shock renewed.

"But he wasn't there to _attack _me," Korra said holding up her hands, since she didn't want to start some kind of _manhunt_. Zhu had kinda drilled it into her head that her word carried a lot of weight, so she couldn't throw them around too carelessly. "He was there to have Amon take his Bending away. I never saw him myself, but Mako filled me in once we'd made our escape."

"If that's what he wanted, why not come to _you_?" Tenzin asked, even though he realized the Energybending needed to perform such an act was _far _beyond Korra's ken.

"He… He said I was 'immature', that he couldn't turn to me to take his Bloodbending away," she answered. "Am I… Am I really that much of a failure?" she asked, sounding as wounded as she felt.

"No, Korra, of course not," Tenzin said consolingly putting a hand on her shoulder. "It's just… The man that Mako saw on that stage… He may have simply grown impatient, said something he didn't truly mean," he said trying to console her.

" . . . Do you really think so?"

"I do," Tenzin nodded. "Still, while the divide between Benders and Non-Benders _had _been growing in recent years, I never would've imagined that someone would come to revile their _own _Bending style."

The man was still reeling from the revelation that a Bloodbender actually _wanted _their power taken away. Two for two apart from Katara, the only Bloodbenders he knew of were self-serving in all their ambition, so it was really quite a shock that one would ever _act _in such a way that was contrary to the common belief about Bloodbenders. _Doubly_-so after Yakone.

"I was surprised when I heard it too," Korra nodded. "I _wanted _to talk to him after we'd rescued Bolin, but he was all covered up the entire time so we don't know what he looks like, and even _if _he's a Bloodbender, that doesn't mean he _looks _like he's Water Tribe. For all we know he could've taken after a _non_-Water Tribe parent. He could look like Fire Nation or Earth Kingdom, and you'd never even _know _he were a Bloodbender," she said remembering Zhu's words about interbreeding between the Four Nations.

While people largely accredited such intermingling to the _post_ Hundred-Year War era, in actuality it'd been happening long _before _that point, most-notably within the Fire Nation Colonies where people spent their whole _lives _living under the Fire Nations' rule; even if in some places it was a life of prosperity and comfort.

"I see… Then it's probably for the best we keep this between us," Tenzin nodded. "As old as he is, if we sent out a manhunt for him, the shock might even _kill _him."

"Yeah. Like I don't have _enough _on my mind," Korra sighed. "Have you seen Zhu anywhere?"

"He just got back a short time ago. He seemed quite upset with himself, not being able to contribute to Bolin's rescue in any way," Tenzin answered.

"I see…" Korra hummed. "Do you know where he is?"

"I believe he's waiting in front of the women's dormitory, waiting for _you _in fact," Tenzin answered.

"I should probably talk to him. Let him know I'm alright."

"That would be for the best," Tenzin nodded. "You get some rest too," he said putting a hand on her shoulder. "To be absolutely frank, you look _awful_."

"Gee. Thanks."

"_And _you smell."

"_Thank _you, Tenzin. Your words of encouragement are always _appreciated_!" Korra said sarcastically as she left.

_***AIR***_

A short walk later and Korra found her friend slouched forward on the steps of the women's dormitory, head dipped forward and his sheathed sword laying on the ground across his feet.

"Zhu… Come on, Zhu you can't sleep here, you'll catch a cold," Korra said walking over to him and shaking his shoulder.

"K… Korra…?" Zhu asked as he blinked the sleepiness from his eyes.

"The one and only," the Avatar replied with a broad grin. "We got Bolin back, though you can probably tell by my upbeat attitude."

"Yeah, I figured as much. Guess you didn't need me _after all_."

"Well, it wasn't _all _us. An old Bloodbender did a pretty good job of distracting Amon while I found the steam pipes. Kinda panicked when I got turned around in those back corridors, so I'm glad everything worked out alright."

_Not _one of her proudest moments.

"A Bloodbender…?" Zhu asked confusedly. " . . . Oh god, it's already starting," he groaned holding his face in his hands.

"_What _is?"

"The _weeeeirds_!" Zhu said creepily with raised fingers waggling. "Weird stuff _always _happens around the Avatar. At first I thought the Shark-Squid attack was just a freak accident, but that, and everything that's happened to us _since _then…? Spirits, I'm right in the _middle _of it!"

"Well _sorry _if I'm a magnet for the _weird_," Korra pouted with crossed arms. " . . . Come on. Let's get you to bed. You look _exhausted_," she said throwing an arm over his shoulder and walking him away.

"If _anyone _should be exhausted, it's _you_. You look way more rattled than _I _do," Zhu deflected smoothly.

"Yes, well, let's just say you missed one _hell _of a show," Korra chuckled tiredly.

She was still reeling from the fact that someone other than _her _could take a person's Bending away.

Sure, she'd heard stories of her past life doing so too, but to be confronted with that in the _present_…

_Any _Bender would be terrified.

" . . . I'm sorry, Korra. I'm sorry for not being there," Zhu said morosely.

"It's okay. I'm the _Avatar_. I'm sure something weird will happen tomorrow that you can be smack _dab _in the middle of," she said with a smile.

"That doesn't make me _feel _better," Zhu huffed, Korra getting a light laugh at his expense before it turned infectious and got to him too, and for a moment, the tribulations of the Equalists' revelation seemed almost… _trivial_. "_*Sniff* *Sniff* _Korra. You stink."

"Ugh, you _too_!" Korra groaned as she shoved him away, the Water Tribesman hitting the ground with an-

"OWWW!"

" . . . Sorry," Korra winced.

_***AIR***_

**Another element has been added to the stage, and the die has been cast.**


	6. Blood in the Water

**twerkformemes: **I'm digging it so far. I've been looking for some decent OC stories and now I can definitely add this one to the list.

**Re: **OCs, or at least _goods _OCs, are really hard to write for, so I'm glad I'm beginning to warrant this kind of response now that I'm carving out my own niche. I'm hoping that characters with built-in flaws will begin being written into the default fabric of "the OC", because character flaws and actual motivations beyond being "moral paragons" are what _I feel_, make good Original Characters.  
There's a time and a place for Self-Inserts, but characters that you _advertise _as OCs, are not one of them.

**Insanity2002: **WHEN IS THE NEXT CHAPTER BEING POSTED, MY THEORY FIRE IS BURNING WHITE HOT, AND IT WILL CONTUNUE TO BURN AND DISTRACT ME UNTIL I GET MORE EVIDENCE?!

**Re: **I'm glad to find that my readers are so-impassioned by the trail of breadcrumbs I've left behind that some of them are willing to use all-Caps.

_***AIR***_

"Why do we have to practice in the morning? The morning is _evil_."

"Give it a _rest_, Korra," Mako said dismissively as the passed the leather-bound ball back to her.

It'd been a few days since The Revelation that they'd borne witness to, Bolin more up-close-and-personal than any of them.

The mysterious "Ancient Bloodbender" as Bolin conspiratorially called him, had made no further appearances since that day, and even with Mako keeping an ear to the ground and bribes flowing into the pockets of street urchins, not even the barest scrap of rumor _about _a Bloodbender could be heard.

At least beyond the usual Bogeyman stories of bad children being whisked away into the night of a full moon _by_ one that _always _went around.

Amon and the Equalists had summarily gone to ground too, not hide nor hair of them being seen since. Of course, after Korra's report to Tenzin, and Tenzin's report to the council, any efforts to _conceal _the fact that Amon could take away a person's Bending had all been for naught as a single leak by an intern caused word of it to spread like wildfire. Benders were growing paranoid on one part, while others believed it to be a lie -a scare tactic- used by the Non-Benders to frighten them into submission.

Of course, none of this was Korra's current problem, so she vested herself rigorously into her training for the Pro Bending Cup in a few weeks, as well as putting her all into her Airbending training.

She still hadn't managed to make an air blast, not even a puff of air, but she was getting better and better at "being the leaf", an incredible defense that'd made her all but _untouchable _in a Pro Bending match, even to the point that other teams were trying to _imitate _what she'd done; albeit to varying degrees of success. The most-common problem on that front was mere dizziness by spinning too _much_, and because Airbenders were largely written off due to only being limited to a single family, few people outside the Acolytes had actually _seen _Airbenders at work beyond what Korra had actually performed.

"So… Bolin…" Korra hummed. "_You _bounced back pretty fast."

"Yeah, well, I've had a few nights to sleep it off," Bolin chuckled nervously, though in actuality he'd almost wrung out Pabu like a tube of toothpaste with how hard he'd been stress-squeezing the little critter. "What about _you_? You're the Avatar, so Amon's gotta be like… four _times _scarier to someone like _you_!"

"Wh-What?! No, of _course _not!" Korra bit back. "I don't care what he thinks or what he says, I am _not _a failure, and I'll show it to him the next time we meet."

"Well, _hopefully _Amon doesn't win that Bloodbender over to his side," Mako said drawing a lull into the exercise. "He stopped a grown man with just one finger, and he wasn't really even _trying_. Try imagine what he'd do to you at full _power_, when there's actually a full moon in the sky."

"Ooh! Wait! Korra can just 'glow it up' in the Avatar State and kick his butt like Aang did with _Yakone_!" Bolin said excitedly.

"Can Korra _even _'glow it up' like that, though?" Mako asked.

"Ooh! We could dress her up in a ceremonial garment from each of the four nations, and then bathe her in a _combination _of the four elements!"

"That's already been tried, and it didn't work. All it did was smatter Aang in _mud_," Korra huffed, having heard that amongst many _other _stories from Korra, back when she'd tried forcing herself into the Avatar state with whatever idea popped into her prepubescent head.

"Well there goes _that _idea," Bolin pouted. "Still, just imagine the waterworks you could put out in a Pro _Bending _match!"

"I _highly _doubt that'd be allowed," Mako huffed.

"Hey, I _am _allowed to compete as long as I only use _Waterbending_," Korra returned with a grin.

"And I'm pretty sure if you used the Avatar State for something so _juvenile_, your past self would be turning over in his grave."

"Hey, is it _weird _eating breakfast on the same island as the corpse of your past life?" Bolin asked.

"BOLIN?!" Mako cried out.

"What? It was a legitimate question!" the Earthbender defended.

"In all _honesty_… I never really _thought of it _like that…" Korra said, a depressed expression on her face.

"Oh crap! I didn't mean it like that!" Bolin cried out, frantically waving up his hands.

"And you _wonder _why I get all the girls," Mako sighed tiredly.

"Hey, guys. I'm back," Zhu greeted as he entered.

"Oh _there _you are. Where've you been?" Korra asked, happy for the distraction.

The whole "eating breakfast on the same island as your own corpse" thing was _pret-ty _morbid.

"So… I've been digging into that Hasook guy who bailed on you the other day…"

"You mean the no-good _no-show_?" Mako asked bitterly.

" . . . You know what, I was _going _to be tactful about it, but fuck it," Zhu bit out, not finding much to like about the Firebender's attitude. "Long story _short_, Hasook's _dead._"

"What…? _Dead_…?" Bolin gaped.

"Yeah. Dead. D-e-a-d. As in, dead-as-a-_doornail_, dead," Zhu said flatly with lidded eyes.

" . . . He _is_?" Mako asked with wide eyes.

"Yeah. You _proud _of yourself, smart guy?" the Water Tribe boy bit out. " . . . I didn't _think _so," he said in turn to Mako's silence.

"But… How can Hasook be _dead_? He was right here with us just the other _day_!" Bolin gaped.

"Uh, _yeah_, that's how _death _works. There here one moment, gone the next," Zhu said dryly.

"Well, how _did _he die?" Korra asked.

"Got mugged by a Firebender. Cut down when he tried to fight back," Zhu answered. "Sound _familiar_?" he asked poignantly in Mako's direction.

"So it was the Agni Kais then," Mako bit out.

"Hard to say. All Agni Kais are Firebenders but not all Firebenders are Agni Kais," Zhu said with a shrug. "As for why they targeted Hasook, either they didn't know who he was, or they just didn't care. Then again, that was _before _the Avatar joined the Fire Ferrets, so… _that_…" he trailed off.

"I… I never knew. If I knew what happened I'd-"

"Never have acted like such a pompous _jerk_?" Zhu questioned.

"Yeah… _That_," Mako answered.

"Well, there's nothing you can do for it now. I'm just glad the guy's _mother _didn't hear you say it, otherwise your rep would _never _get out of the shitter," Zhu said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"So… Why tell us this other than making Mako _feel _bad?" Korra asked.

"I think the two of you owe it to Hasook to visit his mother, give her your condolences," he said turning to The Two Bending Brothers. "After that… Who knows? Any of you feel like avenging the fallen?"

"Heck _yeah_! Let's take the _fight _to those-"

"_Hoodlums_~?" Zhu chuckled mirthfully.

"You are _never _going to let me live that down, are you?" Korra asked with her hands on her hips.

"Nah, probably not," Zhu chuckled, clearly bouncing back from his _own _disappointment as well.

_***AIR***_

What followed was Mako having to ask Butakha, rather _awkwardly_, where Hasook actually lived.

"So you've been on a team with the guy for months and you didn't even know where he _lived_?" the man asked condescendingly in the middle of counting a sheaf of bills.

"That… was an oversight on my part…" Mako conceded.

"Oh, well, if you really wanted to know so badly, you could've just asked _him_," he said gesturing to Zhu.

"What? Why would _he _know?"

"Because he asked after finding out Hasook was dead, poor kid," the man said with a shake of his head. "Sure, he wasn't the _best _Pro Bender, but he could've gotten better with _time_," he sighed nostalgically.

" . . . Could you excuse us for a minute?" Mako asked as he proceeded to drag Zhu out of the director's office, Korra and Bolin following after in time to see Mako angrily shoving Zhu into a wall.

"Why didn't you _tell me _you knew where Hasook lived?! Why'd you make me _ask _Butakha!?"

"Because. You're a _dick_," Zhu said plainly as he jabbed his fingers into Mako's armpits, the Firebender's arms going completely limp.

"Well… did you _have _to make me do something so _humiliating_?" Mako demanded intimidatingly.

Or at least as-intimidatingly as someone could whose arms looked like limp noodles.

"To teach you a lesson," Zhu said plainly as he rebuffed him. "Now c'mon, it's a long bus ride to Cranefish Bay since Naga can't carry _all _of us," he said making his way out.

"Can you at _least _tell me how long this is going to last?" Mako asked flapping his noodle arms around, Bolin poking at one with a chuckle.

"Just a couple minutes," Zhu said plainly. "Come along now. Daylight's burning."

"Uuuuugh…!" Mako groaned tiredly. "It's going to be _one of those days_, isn't it?"

"Yeah, probably," Bolin hummed as he poked his brother's insensate arm.

"And would you STOP THAT!" he cried as he tried to swat his brother's hand away, only for his off-hand to fly out and swat Korra across the butt.

"HEY!" the Avatar cried, red in the face as she cradled her derriere.

"Wai-wai-waitIdidn'tmeanto!" Mako cried as Korra drew her leg back.

_***AIR***_

What followed after _that _little altercation was a somewhat _tense _bus ride to Cranefish Bay, which was on the far east side of Republic City.

Mako, still… _reeling_, from his altercation with Korra, was in no condition to ride saddleback, so instead rode the bus with Bolin. Korra, still fuming after her _own _altercation with the cute Firebender boy, rode saddleback behind Zhu since she didn't have the patience necessary not to leave the two Bending Brothers behind.

Eventually, the quartet had finally made their way to Cranefish Bay, the most-rural part of Republic City that the rest of the urban metropolis had built around. While it was true that many new buildings had gone up over the decades, many of the original structures had stood the test of time too, and there was a robust fish market in place that had Naga salivating.

Mako shooting Zhu an annoyed glare as he rolled his shoulders, followed the two Water Tribesman as they made their way to Hasook's… _former_, address, the effeminate of the two following a hand-drawn map toward a middle-class apartment complex that'd gone up a couple decades after "Republic City" was founded.

"Let's see… Hasook's apartment is in the third building, room fifty-six," Zhu hummed aloud.

"What? _Stairs_?" Bolin whined.

"Hey, you think five _flights _of stairs is bad, you should see how many there are on the _island_," Korra chuckled as they made the leisurely stroll up the five flights of stairs.

_***AIR***_

"Soooo… Uh… Do we _knock_?" Bolin asked awkwardly as they stood in front of the door.

"Common sense _would _dictate 'yes'," Zhu returned plainly.

"Well, why aren't _you _knocking?" Mako asked.

"_You _knew him longer than me, _I'm _just the tagalong," Zhu said with a shrug as he stepped away.

Mako shooting the abrasive Watertribesman a look, let out a long sigh after a moment and turned his attention to the door. Knocking twice, a spot of blue was visible in the peep hole before a voice asked- _"Can I help you?"_

"Yes, um… We're Hasook's teammates. From the Pro Bending team. We… came to give you our condolences," Mako said awkwardly.

"_Oh, you two must be the Bending Brothers,"_ the voice replied, a middle-aged Water Tribe woman in humble clothing stepping out to meet them. She was on the short side, a head shorter than her late son, a few wrinkles on her face and her hair messily pulled back. "I'm Aju."

"Nice to meet you, ma'am," Bolin greeted cordially. "We are _sooooo _sorry for what happened to your son."

"Thank you, for your condolences. Hasook always thought the _world _of you two, said you were some of the best Benders he'd ever seen," Aju replied with downcast eyes, Mako shifting awkwardly. "I just… I still can't believe what happened to him. One minute he's leaving the house for his next match, the next…" she trailed off, wiping tears from the corner of her eyes.

"Don't worry. We'll get the guys that did this," Korra said stepping forward.

"Ah! The _Avatar_! Oh! I must look such a _mess_!" Aju yelped, fretting over her hair.

"No need to stand on ceremony with _me_, ma'am. My bed head's _way _worse," Korra chuckled.

"Oh… I see… I didn't think the Avatar _had _bad hair days."

"Well, maybe not _Aang_, but…"

The next moment Korra was ribbed lightly in the side by Zhu.

"I know this might be hard to discuss, but did Hasook have any _enemies _you might know of? Someone who'd want to… you know…" Mako trailed off.

"Oh no, Hasook didn't get out much. He spent all his free time on the roof practicing his Waterbending. Sometimes his brother and I would have to drag him back home after he Waterbent himself to exhaustion," Aju replied, Mako wilting with guilt.

"Where's his brother right now?" Korra asked.

"On the roof, using the training course Hasook made. He wants to go after the ones that killed my son, but he won't listen to a word I've said," Aju sighed.

"Well, I'm sure he'll listen to you once he knows the _Avatar _is on the job," Korra said thumbing her chest. "Which way to the roof?"

"Which way do you _think_, genius?" Zhu asked half-lidded as he pointed to the stairs.

"Agh. _Stairs_!" Bolin whined.

"Remind me never to let you on Air Temple Island," Zhu sighed.

_***AIR***_

Korra and her entourage stepping onto the apartment's roof, were greeted with the sight of a rather impressively-made recreation of a standard Pro Bending arena; or at least one _half _of it.

Far from a regulation court, the side bounds were made of ordinary rope, the floor covered in weathered tarp, and the grating an ordinary steel mesh. Normally the grating on a Pro Bending field that held the water had larger gaps, but Mako immediately recognized that if you trained with a narrower mesh, you'd actually be able to pull out water through the _regulation _grating much faster; similar to if you trained with Earth Coins that were _heavier _than the regulation. On the far side of the field in each of the three zones were wooden dummies clad in leather armor, the wear and tear of repeated water blasts visible upon them.

And standing right in front of them, aiming at aforementioned dummies and straining to lift a globule of water into the air bigger than his head, was a small child maybe ten years of age and clad in worn Water Tribe colors.

"Rrrrgh! Come… on…!" he growled as he raised shaky arms, the globule's contour highly irregular as he strained to hold it up before he swung his arms across and around his body.

"GUWAUGH!" Mako cried as he was struck in the chest and sent tumbling down the stairs.

"Nice _power _on that Water Whip, but it usually works better if you aim it the _other _way," Korra chuckled, the kid whirling around.

"You… You're _Korra_, the _Avatar_!" the kid gaped with wide eyes.

"That's my name, don't wear it out," she replied with a grin. "So, you're _Hasook's _brother, right?"

"Y-Y-Yes, ma'am! My name's Goshi," the now-named Goshi replied nervously, a dusting of pink on his cheeks.

"Well it's very nice to meet you, Goshi," Korra returned. "Your mom tells me you're going after the guys who… you know…"

"Killed my _brother_? You don't have to walk on eggshells around me. I'm old-enough to know what _'dead' _means," he said bitterly.

"Well… At least we're on the same page," Korra replied awkwardly. "Anyway, you don't need to go after the Agni Kais. The _Avatar_'s on the job now," she said jabbing a thumb at her chest.

"Really?"

"Really, really."

"I… Thank you…" Goshi replied after a moment. "I wouldn't have stood a _chance _against them, to be honest," he said somberly.

"Hey, don't worry about it. You'll _get _better with time. That Water Whip you dished out left Mako _reeling_, and that guy gets hosed all the _time_."

"Yeah. Reeling," Mako groaned as he crawled back up the stairs.

"How about I show you a trick _I _learned when Katara taught _me _the Water Whip?"

"You'd really _do _that?" Goshi asked with wide eyes.

"Yep!" Korra replied with a grin. "Now, first off, you're going to want to widen your stance a little…"

_***AIR***_

"That was really nice of you, Korra," Zhu hummed as they trailed after the bus Mako and Bolin were in, after they'd gotten the names of the detectives who took the case.

"Yeah, well, I saw a little of _myself _in him," Korra returned. "Especially when he sent that Water Whip screaming _backwards_," she chuckled.

"Didn't Katara do the same thing at the start of _her _adventure?"

"How do _you _know about that?" Korra asked incredulously.

"I read her _book_. You know… The one that your old 'Gaang' wrote after the _war_? Have you even _started _on that pile of books I gave you?"

"Yyyyeahhhh_maybe_…"

"Korra, don't lie to me. I can see it on your face," Zhu said with a flat stare.

"Okay, maybe I was a _little _intimidated by the pile and _maybe_, I procrastinated a little…" she pouted.

"Korra, how do you expect to resonate with your past lives if you aren't even willing to do the _research_?" Zhu asked. "If you can't _talk _to Aang's spirit, then reading his autobiography is the closest you're ever gonna get."

"I know. I know…" Korra groaned as she leaned into his back. "It's just… After what happened with Amon… and that old _Blood_bender… I guess I've had a lot on my mind."

"Yeah, well… I guess I understand…" Zhu sighed. "Must be tough, being the Avatar, having so many expectations put on you."

"I _guess_… I've never _known _anything else," Korra shrugged.

"Wait, _what_?"

"I knew I was the Avatar since I was four, and the rest… It's history."

"More like _'modern _history_'. _And are you _seriously _telling me you've been the Avatar since you were _four_?" he asked incredulously.

"Yeah, _why_?"

"No _wonder _you're so screwed up," he said flatly.

"What's _that _supposed to mean?!" Korra yelped, her hackles raised.

"I mean…! You were completely cut off from your entire _culture_! From _everyone_! How _else _did the White Lotus think you were going to turn out?" Zhu asked irately. "Sure, Avatar Aang was an ascetic monk, but even _he _had friends! Bumi of the Earth Kingdom, Kuzan of the Fire Nation…! I don't think he went to the poles before he put himself on ice…" he trailed off, "but my _point _stands! Maybe the reason you can't resonate with the _Spirit _World, is because you can't even resonate with the _Human _World."

"Do you really think that's _it_?!" Korra asked, aghast.

"Hey, at least now we know it isn't _your _fault. It's the White _Lotus'_."

"I'm not sure what Tenzin will have to say about that…"

"He's a monk. He'll get over it; he basically _has _to or he'd be a shitty monk."

_***Bark!***_

"See? _She _gets it."

"No, that's her saying 'we're here'," Korra corrected as the bus ahead of them stopped.

"I was being _facetious_," Zhu groaned.

_***AIR***_

"Remind me again why _we're _doing all the legwork?" Mako asked as he and his brother made their way into Police HQ.

"Becaussse… Korra's on bad terms with the Chief of Police, the Avatar getting directly involved would call undue attention to it, and Hasook was _our _teammate at the time, not Korra's," Bolin answered.

"Are you going to do _everything _Zhu says?" Mako asked irritably.

"What can I say? The guy makes a compelling argument," Bolin answered with a shrug, Mako chuffing irritably before he turned to the reception desk, sweet-talking the girl behind the counter into pointing them towards-

_***AIR***_

"Lu and Gang, right?"

"Yeah. Who's asking?"

The two detectives they were directed toward, Lu and Gang, were partners on the police force with neighboring desks to match. Lu was a tall man with combed-back hair, a narrow face, and a Fu Manchustyle mustache and a long pointed goatee. Gang was a short stocky man with puffy hair in an afro, a long Horseshoe mustache on his face that extended past his chin.

"Hi there, I'm Bolin, this is my brother Mako. We're here to see what you have on the guys that killed our teammate the other night," Boline greeted amicably.

"And his name would be…?" Lu asked slowly.

"Hasook. You asked his mom if he had any enemies after he got killed," Mako answered flatly.

"Oh right, _that _Hasook," Gang waved off lazily. "Let's see here…" he said fishing in his desk before pulling out a sheaf of paper. "According to the coroner's report, Hasook was burned to death by Firebenders."

"Yes, we already _knew _that. We want to know _who _did it," Mako clarified.

"Oh, well in _that _case…" Lu trailed off.

_***AIR***_

"So. How'd the fact-finding mission go?" Zhu asked a few minutes after Mako and Bolin returned.

"It was a wash," Mako huffed once the group reunited.

"How so?" Korra asked.

"All those idiots did was make the chalk outline, claim it was the Agni Kais based on the scorch marks, and then throw Hasook's file in the 'unsolved' cabinet," the Firebender bit out.

"Wait, _seriously_?" Korra gaped.

"Yeah… They didn't seem to care all that much," Bolin said downcast. "We managed to get a _location _out of them, but… They said the trail's gone cold… Just like Hasook."

"Well _that's _morbid," Zhu hummed.

"Hey, _their _words, not mine," the Earthbender clarified.

"So what now?" Zhu asked. "I'm not sure how much we can do without a trail to follow, and even though Hasook _was _Firebent to death, there's no guarantee the Agni Kais had anything to do with it."

"Well then, I guess we'll just have to whip out our _secret weapon_," Korra said with a smirk as she pat Naga's side.

_***AIR***_

"Sooooo… You talk about anything interesting while we were inside?" Bolin asked as they made their way to the murder site.

"Oh, you know. Getting to the crux of Korra's _Avatar _problem," Zhu shrugged.

"What problem would _that _be?"

"The fact that I don't have a single spiritual bone in my _body_," Korra answered with a slump of her shoulders.

"Really?" Mako asked with a raised brow. "I just thought that sort of thing came _naturally_."

"Dude. Time and _place, _dude. Time and _place_," Zhu huffed.

"What'd I _say_?" Mako whined.

"You know, I think I _am _starting to wonder why you get all the girls," Bolin hummed as he rubbed his chin.

"Look, how 'bout we shelve this until _after _we find Hasook's killer," Mako huffed as they reached an alleyway within eyeshot of the Pro Bending Arena. "We're _here_."

"Seriously? _This _far out in the open?" Zhu asked as he looked at the map in Mako's hand. "If you're going to murder someone, isn't the point _not _to do it where you can be seen by passerby?"

"Well, this one was a case of mugging-gone-wrong," Mako stated as they turned the corner into the alley. Even though the police had vacated the scene, there was still the telltale signs of a chalk outline where Hasook's body had been found. In the area surrounding it were the telltale scorch marks of Firebending, as well as those of a now-evaporated puddle. "Poor guy didn't stand a chance…"

"Yeah, _that's _an understatement," Zhu said flatly. "Korra, you think Naga can track these guys down?"

"I'm fairly confident," Korra said with a grin. "Alright, Naga, show them what you can do."

The Polarbear Dog barking in agreement, strode into the alleyway, cramped at her passing, her nose to the ground as she sniffed about. A whine leaving her muzzle as her snout passed over the chalk outline, she then directed her attention towards the scorch marks dotting the alley, and then the surrounding alley. Her ears perking up, the Polarbear Dog's head rose and she let out a bark, pawing at the ground excitedly.

"I think she's _got _something!" Korra said excitedly.

"Unless she's got the munchies. Then we 'got' nothing."

Zhu was elbowed in the side for his remark.

The Fire Ferrets and their Plus One following after Naga, the diverse group soon found themselves wandering into Agni Kai territory, as evidenced by the Fire Nation-style architecture and the scent of Flaming Fire Flakes everywhere they went.

_***GROWRRRRRRRR***_

"Naga, was that you?" Korra asked worriedly.

"That was _me_, actually," Bolin said awkwardly, one hand rubbing his stomach. "Can we stop for something to eat?"

"It's a little early to get _lunch_, isn't it?" Mako asked impatiently.

"Hey, fueling up is important. If your stomach's growling, then you're running on fumes, and going up against a crime syndicate in that shape is a good way of getting _killed,_" Zhu said flatly.

"You're pretty morbid, _aren't _you, Zhu?" Korra asked.

"Well _someone _has to be," Zhu huffed. "I vote we grab a bite to eat before continuing on."

_***Arf***_

"See? Even _Naga _agrees with me."

"I _am _a growing boy," Bolin hummed.

"I could eat," Korra hummed, patting at her stomach.

" . . . Alright, fine," Mako groaned. "But we'd better not lose the trail after this."

"Hey, you _worry _too much," Korra said patting his shoulder.

"With how little _you _seem to worry, that actually evens it out," Zhu said flatly as they searched for a place to eat.

_***AIR***_

Neither Mako nor Bolin nor Korra had any real familiarity with the Fire Nation-dominated part of Republic City, so they didn't really know where the nearest eating establishment was located.

Fortunately for them, their resident cartographer had been familiarizing himself with Republic City by asking the White Lotus what they did when they had shore leave, so he was able to guide them to a little hole in the wall even Naga wouldn't have found on the first try.

The moment they walked in, both Korra and Mako kicked up quite a bit of fanfare; Korra because she was the Avatar, obviously, while for Mako it was because he was an up-and-coming Pro Bending star of some renown with literal firepower at his fingertips. Bolin received markedly less fanfare than his brother and Zhu received none at all, though the latter took it better than the prior.

After negotiating with the manager to pay for half even though the Avatar was "gracing" his "humble establishment" with her "presence", the four of them sat at a nice table in the rear with their backs to the wall, menus in their hands while nursing complimentary drinks.

"Geez, is _everything _in the Fire Nation spicy?" Korra asked as she sipped at a cup of spiced tea placed before her, still trying to acquire the taste.

"Not really," Zhu shrugged. "At least, not since trade relations improved after the Hundred Year War and people over there could eat something _other _than meat, meat, and _more_ meat all the time."

"So you've really been there? What's it like?" Bolin asked, quite excitedly at that.

"Well, it's a beautiful country for one. A little more cramped than the Earth Kingdom, but that's a given since it's an archipelago," Zhu shrugged. "The Ember Islands are also quite nice, though it's _very _expensive to rent _anything _out there nowadays, and the Ember Island Players are a little… _cringy _for my tastes," he said after a pause. "The crater where the meteor that went into Sokka's 'Space Sword' landed has become a bit of a tourist trap, but thankfully Piandao's manor is just as exclusive as it's always been. As for the Capital… _Very _exclusive, only people like diplomats and the extremely wealthy are allowed up there. You _can_ walk up the invasion route that was used during the war by Aang's friends and allies from all over the Earth Kingdom, or take a trolley to the top, though honestly, it seemed more trouble than it was worth so I opted out."

"Huh. That's _way _different than what any of the travel guides say…" Bolin hummed contemplatively.

"Why? You thinking of going?"

"Well I mean _yeah_…! Assuming we win the prize money, I mean," Bolin answered. "I mean, we wouldn't even have to pay for a _boat_! We could just have Korra borrow an Air Bison, take out the middle-man."

"I don't think that's how 'middle-men' work," Mako stated, going over his menu with impatient eyes.

"Well, hey, if we _do _go, we have a reliable _tour _guide," Korra hummed nudging Zhu lightly in the ribs.

"Well, you _were _ex-Firelord Zuko's best friend in your previous life, so maybe he can pull a couple strings and get us into the choice spots," Zhu hummed thoughtfully. "Though no Ember Island Players. 'The Boy in the Iceberg' was a complete _drag_. _Very _cringy."

"Why do you keep using that word?" Bolin asked.

"Trust me, if you saw that show in its original format, you'd know what I mean. _No-one _comes out of that disaster looking good…"

"I think I'll take your word for it," Mako hummed, a server coming by with a pitcher of water and a platter of fresh-baked Fire Flakes in three different levels of spiciness separated by dividers, each redder than the last, the air above the spiciest of all making the air waver like a _mirage_.

"Do you… have any salad?" Mako asked, looking down at his menu.

It wasn't that he didn't enjoy meat, it's just that he preferred a more-balanced diet than his brother, who only avoided getting stocky with how-much he ate because Earthbending was more calorie-intensive than Fire.

"Not really, no," the server apologized. "All traditional here."

"I can tell," Zhu hummed picking some of the hottest Fire Flakes from a bowl and tossing them back. Korra eyed the tasty snack warily, then, in a typical fit of competitiveness, grabbed a larger amount and tossed them back as though in challenge.

Korra's face went beet-red a moment later, steam pouring out of her ears, and she wound up downing half of the pitcher in one go.

"I can't…! _*PANT* _Believe…! _*PANT* _You can eat those…! _*PANT* Straight_…!" Korra panted out, sweat pouring down her brow as she fanned her tongue, Bolin gasping and wheezing after trying only a single of the highly-volatile flakes.

"My tongue is numb. Is it _supposed _to be numb?" Bolin asked, as he sipped from his tea with as-much dignity as he could manage.

"Feh. Lightweights," Zhu huffed, grabbing another handful of the spicy stuff and downing it with a straight face even as the other two made complete and utter _fools _of themselves.

_***AIR***_

"I hope you guys had a good meal, 'cause it could very well be your last."

"Well _you're _certainly morbid today," Korra hummed as they followed after Naga, the husky girl licking her chops from a nice fat Hippopotamus Cow steak they brought out to her.

"Korra, these guys rule Republic City's underbelly for a _reason_. They are _not _to be underestimated," Zhu said flatly.

"I couldn't agree more," Mako nodded.

"What makes you think we're going up against the Agni Kais _specifically_?" Mako saked.

"That," Zhu said extending his finger at the building Naga had led them to, their eyes drawn to a flame-like crest on the door with two silhouettes squaring off against one another; the symbol of the Agni Kai Triad, the image the spitting definition of a "Fire Duel".

"Yyyy_up_. That's… pretty conclusive…" Bolin admitted with a nervous nod. "And you're _sure _Hasook's killers are in there?"

"_Naga _seems to think so," Korra hummed as Naga stood at full height, ears raised as she stared intently at the door, keeping away from the cars crossing the street. "I don't get it, though. If the Agni Kais are out in the open like this, why aren't the police kicking their doors in."

"Knowing where the Triads are and having the _ability _to arrest them are completely different things," Mako stated plainly. "Right now the Triads and the Police have a sort of equilibrium, but with the Equalists running around with their anti-Bending agenda, that could all change very soon, which means the turf wars might flare up again."

"Korra, can you use Seismic Sense to tell how many there are?" Zhu asked, his eyes panning up and down the street.

"Sorry, I don't really know how to do that," she said bashfully.

_*Slap*_

"Great… So we're going in blind," Zhu groaned dragging his hand down his face. "Just… _great_."

The gang of Benders and Polarbear Dog mulling about for a moment, trying to contemplate their next course of action, Zhu closed his eyes for a minute before taking stock of everything with fresh eyes, an idea coming to life moments later.

"If we're going in blind, we need to blind _them_ as well."

"Wait! Isn't that a little extreme?" Korra yelped.

"Not _literally_," Zhu huffed. "This place is equipped with a fire suppression system, something any businessman that works with Firebenders is going to install in their building. When we make our breach-"

"Say what now?"

"When we 'kick in the front door'," Zhu answered to Bolin's confused inquiry, "Mako will set of the sprinklers. Not only will this weaken _their _Firebending in case there's a bunch of them in there, but it'll give our resident Waterbender plenty of water to work with."

"Brilliant!" Korra gawped.

"If I was really that brilliant, I wouldn't be charging blindly into a den of angry criminal Firebenders who alrady have blood on their hands. Even _if _I had the Avatar watching my back."

Is what Zhu _wanted _to say, but he held his tongue.

Morale was important before a _raid_, after all.

_***AIR***_

Within the Branch Headquarters of the Agni Kai Triad, one of the smuggling cells disguised as a shipping firm, since the big move of product wouldn't take place until later that night and their mole inside the police hadn't forewarned them of any sort of police raid, the atmosphere within was very relaxed.

Several men who wouldn't look out of place during the Hundred Year War moved around heavy boxes of money and contraband, working hard despite their criminal orientation. On the opposite end of the spectrum were four well-dressed members sitting around a table, taking a more _supervisory _position. Piles of money and chips sat on the table before hands of cards surrounding a pot, glasses of alcoholic beverages despite the early hour dotting the rounded space.

The next moment, and the front door exploded inward with a loud _***BANG***_, a young man with a red scarf combat rolling into the room before he began belting out fireballs.

Inhabited exclusively by Firebenders, the sprinkler system was calibrated to remain unresponsive to _casual _firebending, but the intense heat of a direct strike at the waterspouts was enough to set the flame suppresants off, the bosses quickly getting soaked, their cards deforming in their clenched fists, a silent command to attack issued.

Water pouring down and soaking everything, an unmistakable Water Tribe with toned muscles skated into the room, large amounts of water pulled from the floor and air gathered together as she created a massive whip, the approaching Firebenders slapped backward, skidding across the floor. One man jumped at her with a sword in hand, but an upward swipe of her hand and the man was pinned to the wall by a sheet of ice.

Even without his Firebending, Mako's fisticuffs were nothing to scoff at, and when Bolin came into the picture his brawny frame allowed him to lay out many an Agni Kai who came at him. Zhu slipping in as earth and water shot across the room in all directions, a quick series of strikes to their exposed backs left several men collapsing to the waterlogged floor like limp noodles.

A muscular bald thug, large in stature, swung an iron mace at Zhu in an attempt to flatten him, only for the mysterious traveler to slide across the sopping floor between his legs before kicking out at the back of his knees, the man's feet slipping and his balance waning before the back of his collar was grabbed and his balance was lost entirely, the back of the man's tattoed head hitting the floor with a _***Crack!***_, a cluster of Chi Strikes to his unresponsive body ensuring he stayed down.

At the same moment, one of the thugs with a long mustache managed to deliver a blow to Bolin's face. Though bleeding from the nose, Bolin ignored the pain and retaliated with a much more powerful blow of his own, knocking the mustachioed man into the arms of another, the pony-tailed thug tossing the loser away and charging at Bolin with fists clad in brass knuckles.

Elsewhere, one of the thug's metal bats was slashed in half by one of Korra's water blades, the elemental and tactical advantages given to her by the sprinkler system going off allowing her to fight a half-dozen murderous goons simultaneously with riduculous ease, a wide grin on her face as her blood pumped hot through her veins, water whips and water blades flying every which way.

The sprinklers stopping moments later, several of the Agni Kais regained their composure and fired concentrated streams of flame at the Avatar, only for Korra to draw up a massive wall of water around herself like the moon with the tide, the Avatar then expanding the wall outward and knocking them off their feet, soaked even further to the bone than they were before.

Korra drawing all the scattered water on the floor toward herself as a slip of Bolin's foot allowed him to narrowly avoid a brass knuckle to his left cheekbone, Mako falling underneath a knife strike that would've clipped him in the throat, Zhu continued to weave within the Agni Kais' ranks, a line of strikes running along their exposed spines dropping more and more of them like Bumble Flies, those that had slipped and fallen over the once-wet floor struck while they were down.

One thug with a long scar on his face coming into the room from the back now that the water was gone, drew out an electrical stun baton and attempted to strike Zhu from behind, only for the Watertribesman to bend out of the way of the strike like a reed before knocking him to his knees and grabbing his arm in a lock.

"Where'd you get the Equalist gear?" he asked in a low tone, bending the limb back in a way that left his promised threat unspoken.

"Took… Took it from one we caught…" the man gasped as he felt his tendons strain. "Brat joined because his friend got hurt, so we dumped his body in the North River."

Of course, the scarred man wasn't confessing to the murder _only _to save his arm, but also to allow his friend to attack the non-Bender from behind with a bladed chain that whistled through the air. Zhu's solution, when pressed to find one, was to whirl around his captive and throw him in the way of the barbed weapon. Stun baton raised up to intercept, the next moment both Agni Kais were electrocuted, bodies going rigid before dropping to the ground in smoking heaps.

Two of the high-ranking members converign on Korra and releasing powerful streams of flame that would've leveled a lesser building, Korra dove in before parting her hands, the flames thrown to the side in a massive **V**, striking piles of soaked cargo much to everyone's relief. Much of the nearby water evaporated by the blast, Korra decided to kick up two slabs of earthen flooring catching both men in the chest and bowling them over, another pair of slabs pinning them to a wall leaving them unable to move.

The second-to-last Agni Kai tumbled to the ground from Bolin's powerful haymaker, now missing a tooth and his eyebrows singed off from when Mako sent one of his fireblasts back at him, the two brothers smirking victoriously.

"Da… DAMN YOUUU…!" the last of the Agni Kais cried as he brought his fingertips together, arcs of electricity dancing around his hands, now that the floor wasn't completely soaked.

"He's got Lightning Hands!" Bolin cried frantically as his victorious grin wilted.

"Scatter! He can't hit us all at _once _if we do _that_!" Mako shouted, grabbing his brother's shoulder and bolting one way, Korra dragging Zhu the other, the Agni Kai's eyes darting every which way before deciding on his target.

"Looks like the one getting the lightning… is _you_!" the Agni Kai shouted, his attention turning _away _from Mako, who he _knew _could redirect lightning.

"Korra!" Mako cried out.

"Crap!" Korra yelped.

Since one wrong move in that regard could easily _kill _her, and no respectable Firebending teacher wanted to be held accountable for accidentally sending the Avatar onto their next life in the cycle, the White Lotus never really got around to _teaching _her how to redirect Lightning.

Something _Zhu _recognized all too well from how much Korra had been coddled; despite the girl being built like a brick house.

"Korra…"

_***Schwip***_

"Huh?" Korra gaped as Zhu's hand slipped free of hers with a twist of his wrist.

"Stay back," Zhu said softly as he imposed himself between Korra and the Agni Kai, who was forced to send his Lightning out lest it ravage his _own _body.

"Zhu!" Korra cried as the bolt of energy leapt from the man's fingertips, crashing right into Zhu's raised hands.

The shadows of the room stretching outward as bolts of blue lightning danced around Zhu's body, a pained look on his face as his hair began to stand on end, the Watertribesman was visibly straining to hold the power within himself before he staggered sidelong. An arm thrown up, the accumulated energy leapt from his fingertips, punching a hole through the ceiling and the room above before shooting into the wild blue yonder.

"ZHU!" Korra cried as the world began to slow around her, the Watertribesman dropping to the ground like a sack of potatoes with a _***THUD*** _that echoed in her ears. The long-haired teen laid out on his side with arcs of electricity dancing across his prone form, a moment later he jerked face up, back arching and a hand clawing at his chest as a silent cry left his lips. "NOOOOOOO!" she cried as he went still, the girl scrambling over to his motionless form.

The Avatar sufficiently distracted, gave the remaining Agni Kai member the perfect opportunity to bolt for the door.

What he wasn't counting on was the Bending Brothers regaining their composure and meting out a powerful one-two that sent him to the ground, slabs of earthen floor pinning him in place while Mako loomed over him, a dagger of flame at the ready.

"You'd better _hope _he survives, otherwise you'll have one pissed-off Avatar on your hands," Mako growled at the other Firebender.

"Yeah! And we're pretty steamed about _Hasook _too!" Bolin added as-intimidatingly as his boyish features would allow.

"What are you… talking about…?" the Agni Kai demanded, a yelp leaving his lips as the flame dagger dipped closer to his face.

"The Waterbender you guys killed near the Pro Bending Arena," Mako growled. "The Fire Ferret, our _teammate_!" he roared as his flames intensified, the man's eyebrows catching alight before going out.

"That… _That's _what this mess is all about?" one of the higher-ranked members pinned to a wall bit out. "That second-rate _Bender_?"

"Don't insult his memory!" Bolin yelled, angrily punching the guy in the face.

The Agni Kai, despite spitting out blood and a tooth, could only smirk up at him.

"Do you like this jacket, boy? It was the last thing your friend ever saw."

"What?! _You _killed him!?" Mako demanded as he rounded on the guy.

"Nope. _Shunuyan _killed him. Young'n _always _got violent after a little drink."

"Which one of you is Shunuyan?!" Mako demanded.

"Sorry to say, but you're a little late to that party," the Agni Kai smirked. "When he killed that Hasook kid, he screwed a bunch of gamblers over who bet on you _bombing _that match, so he got a blade between his ribs. We burnt him over last night."

"You're… You're _lying_!" Bolin snapped. "We followed-"

"The only thing left of Shunyuan is this nice jacket of his," the man said smiling a bloody smile like a gaping wound. "Guess you won't be avenging your friend _after _all. Haha… Hahahahaha!"

The man's confident laughter was caught off by another punch across the face that rendered him unconscious, Mako's eyes stinging as his fist trembled.

Before Bolin could go over to comfort his brother, two non-load-bearing walls were busted in with a loud _***CRASH!***_, Metalbending Police surging into the room. While the Bending battle within had stayed largely unnoticed, a bolt of lightning cutting a streak of energy through the sky in the middle of the day was _bound _to draw attention.

"All of you! _FREEZE_!" one of the officers shouted, only to deflate slightly at the sight of the knocked-out gangsters scattered around.

"Zhu, come on! Stay with me!" Korra shouted, cutting through the silence.

"What in the world's going _on _in here?!" Lin shouted as she came down from the hole in the ceiling, her eyes panning the room before they landed on the Avatar. "Tch. I should've _known _that _you _had a hand in this."

"Bitch at me later, Lin! My friend's _dying _here!" Korra bit back as she sliced the teen's shirt open with a water blade before the glow of Healing Water went to the sunburst scar on his abdomen. "Come on, Zhu… Don't you die on me…!"

"Does _someone _want to explain what's going on?!" Lin demanded seeing the Avatar was preoccupied.

"Well! Lin! Sir! _Ma'am_! Sir Ma'am!" Bolin stuttered out incoherently, Lin's expression growing more perturbed with each utterance.

"Since the _police _decided this case was unsolvable, the four of us decided to tackle it on our own," Mako said cooly, steeling himself against the Metalbender before him.

"And who told you _that_?!' Lin growled angrily.

"The detectives with the mustaches, Lu and Gang," Bolin said getting his spine back.

"And who gave them the authority to do _that_?" Lin demanded.

"Well, _you're _the boss. Didn't _you_?" Mako asked, refusing to be cowed this way.

"And you didn't think to bring us _in_ on this after you tracked them down?" Lin asked angrily as Naga poked her head in.

"Well, your giant airships aren't exactly _subtle_," Bolin stated, non-sarcastically.

"Besides, if your own _detectives _gave up, how much help could you even _be_?" Mako asked before slabs of earth suddenly shot up around his shoulders. " . . . I can see I went a step too far."

_***AIR***_

The Agni Kai members rounded up and hauled away by the Metalbending Police, the White Lotus swiftly arrived in short order to form a perimeter around the Avatar, who hadn't left Zhu's side since he went down.

"I don't get it, though…" Mako hummed, having been released from his own earthen prison once Tenzin arrived to call Lin off. "The guy isn't a Firebender, so how was he able to redirect _Lightning _like that."

"In the era before the Avatar, we bent not the elements but the energy within ourselves," Tenzin stated, more as a mantra than an actual answer. "This is what the Lionturtle who taught my father Energybending said to him before bestowing this ability upon him," he went on to clarify at the two brothers' confused looks. "_All _people, not just Benders, possess Chi, so I suppose it _is _possible that, if a non-Bender studies the Bending _arts _enough, they would be able to redirect lightning. If a Firebender can learn to do so by studying the arts of another nation, well… Iroh never stated _explicitly _that you had to be a Bender to redirect Lightning, all you needed to be able to do was guide the energy down one arm, into the 'Sea of Chi', and up out the opposite arm before it could cause any damage to one's heart."

"I guess that _is _possible. You _are _'Mr. Spiritual'," Bolin hummed as he exaggeratedly stroked his chin. " . . . You think he'll be okay?" he asked, eyes turning to the still-downed Zhu, Korra's attention fixated completely on the downed teen writhing at her knees as the ravages of cold-blooded fire coursed through him. "I know we haven't known each other all that long, but _still_…"

"Well, if Zhu has anything going for him, then it's that the one healing him was taught by the best healer in the _world_," Tenzin hummed, a bit of pride lancing its way through his tone. "While it's true that Korra has never had to heal an injury on this level before… I have every _confidence _she'll be able to succeed."

"I _hope _so," Mako hummed, pausing as he turned his attention to the center of the warehouse. "Zhu threw himself in front of that Lightning Bolt without a moment's hesitation, pulled away from Korra so she wouldn't get caught up in it, and_ I_… All I thought about was getting my brother out of the way…" he said glancing downward, a bit of shame marring his features.

"There is nothing wrong with thinking of family first," Tenzin said placing a hand on the teen's shoulder. "No one is holding that against you."

"Yeah, because someone _else _was around to take the hit," Mako bit out as he shook the hand off. "If Korra had gotten hit, because she was trying to avenge _our _teammate's killer, the press would've had a _field day_."

"Yes, well, I suppose the press _can _be a bit overzealous…" Tenzin trailed off, a relieved sigh passing his lips as the pained expression on Zhu's face began to soften, his breathing steadying and Korra letting out a relieved mix between a gasp and a sob. "I think he's gotten through the worst of it. It should be safe to take him back to the island."

"You do that. We… We have to tell Aju and Goshi what went down here," Mako stated sadly, a bitter taste of defeat in his mouth, and not just because of the lightning.

_***AIR***_

"Ugh…" Zhu groaned tiredly, the back of his hand going too his head as his eyes twitched behind darkened lids. "Veins… on _fire_…" he groaned as he moved to sit up, only for a strong hand to go to his chest and pin him down.

"Whoa, there, 'Mr. Hero'. You're still too hurt to get _up _just yet," a familiar voice quipped.

"K… Korra…?" Zhu asked to the familiar voice as his eyes opened, the newest Avatar looming over him from the left side of the bed he was laying on. "What… What _happened_…?" he asked, spying a line of dried tears running down each cheek as his eyes adjusted to the light, the evening sky visible in the window behind her.

"You almost got yourself _killed_, you dope!" Korra sobbed, her joviality evaporating as a fresh stream of tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Korra, I-"

"What were you _thinking_?!" Korra sobbed. Had he ever _seen _her cry before? "You could've… _*sniff*_ You could've…!" she sniffed as her anger faded into sobbing.

"So could _you,_" Zhu returned, realizing where Korra was going with that. "And then _I'd _have to tell your next life what happened to _their _predecessor."

_*Sniff*_

" . . . There, there," Zhu said consolingly as he weakly patted the Avatar atop the head, only to wince as a lance of pain shot through his abdomen. "Rgh!"

"Stand still, I'll heal you," Korra said grasping some water in a nearby basin and holding it over his exposed abdomen, the luminous glow filling the room with light.

"How long… was I _out_…?" Zhu asked as his eyes turned to the nearby window.

"You were out until after _sunset_. Missed dinner and everything," Korra said as she worked, her face the picture of pure concentration as her hands centered upon the sunburst scar on his exposed abdomen.

"Did you… stay by my side the whole _time_…?"

"Of _course _you idiot!" Korra bit out before relenting. "No one… No one ever _did _anything like that for me before."

"Well, no-one ever threw _lightning _at you before, sooo…"

"Yeah, I get it," Korra chuckled weakly. "I know _Tenzin _would appreciate what you did."

"I don't see _why_."

"What? What do you _mean _'why'?" Korra asked incredulously. "You saved the _Avatar_!"

"I didn't do that to save the _Avatar_. I did it to save _you_," he asserted.

At this, Korra went completely red in the face, almost luminescent, tiny puffs of flame leaping out of her nostrils.

"Man, you are _way _too easy~" Zhu said even as the healing water splattered across his stomach.

"Y-You _jerk_!" Korra yelped, red in the face as she swat at his arm.

"H-Hey! Cut it out! I almost _died _today! Cut me some _slack_!" Zhu yelped playfully.

Elsewhere, Tenzin stood outside the door to the infirmary, letting out a relieved sigh while inwardly chuckling at the two's back-and-forth.

_***AIR***_

"Hasook… I know I wasn't always the best teammate a guy could ask for, but I just want to let you know… We did it. We got the guys that put you… well, _here_," Mako said the following day, standing before a grave marker outside the city, overlooking the sea. "Or rather… We got as close to avenging you as we could _get_," he lamented.

"You sure he'll be alright on his own?" Korra asked, she and Zhu standing a ways away, the prior supporting the latter.

"Hasook was _his _friend before he even knew who you were. This is _their _moment," Zhu stated. "I'm surprised _you _aren't up there with him," he said looking over his other shoulder to Bolin.

"Mako said he wanted a moment alone," the Earthbender answered. "He feels… _really _bad for what he said about Hasook when he didn't show."

"At least he's _acknowledging _he was an ass," Zhu said flatly. "Most pretty-boys aren't like that."

"All things considered, almost-dying aside… I think this adventure turned out really _well_," Korra admitted.

"Yeah! Let's try _not _to get killed again!" Bolin said with a smidge too-much enthusiasm.

"And maybe later someone _else _can get struck by lightning," Zhu hummed, rubbing at his abdomen.

_***AIR***_

**My first all-original chapter. Since Shiro Shinobi said a week had passed between Episodes 3 and 4, I figured this would be a good place to stick an episode like this.**

**Also, I'd like to thank **Spaceman** for his help in composing the scene between **"Great... So we're going in blind." **and **"DAMN YOU...!"**, as well as **"The Fire Ferret, our teammate."** and the part where the walls got kicked in, since I was in a total brainfreeze over how to link those gapped parts of it together.**


	7. The Best-Laid Plans

**NinjazNeverDie: **Are Korra and Zhu gonna be together. Please yes there aren't many Korra x Male OC stories.

**Re: **That's the way it's _leaning_, though like in the Canon, the romance sub-plot isn't going to be that straightforward.

**LuckyShadowWolf: **You know reading this chapter I have to say that this was a very well done introduction that this story is officially of the Canon rails and is 100% AU since in canon Hasook was alive years later playing clarinet at Varick's and Zhu Li's wedding. I thought that this story was going to be following canon with the exception of ZHU being introduced but last chapter was the first real hint that the storyline would be jumping the tracks with the Old Bloodbender, who I think is Zhu in disquise, but this chapter really hammers the fact in. Although considering the fact that Zhu wasn't able to truly mitigate the lightning I have to ask will he now be left with a reminder of this ordeal in the form of Lichtenberg Figures?

**Re: **Yes! That's _exactly _the sort of reaction I was hoping for!  
While the Canon was interesting, since this is FanFiction, going "off the rails" is kind of the entire _point_. At the very _beginning_, the "Butterfly Effect" was relatively weak, only adding in a bit of dialogue and minor narrative changes here and there, but those effects have been cumulative, and this gives me the freedom to write events playing out _differently_. When it comes to Hasook, I kinda wanted there to be a more tangible _reason _for him not making the match, and him getting killed by the Agni Kais on-the-way to the match was just more compelling than him being a no-show. That and Mako calling Hasook a "no-good no-show" was somewhat dickish, so I decided to poke the Platypusbear a little.  
As for the Lichtenberg Figures, that is a _very _good question to ask. Unfortunately, I've already planned it out that the only scars he'll actually have will be those of the same "sunburst" style that Aang and Zuko both received when being on the business end of Azula's Lightning Bolts. While in the Canon, it could be argued that the lack of Lichtenberg Figures was for the sake of the animators who had to _draw _such scars, another argument could be made that since the Lightning is Chi-based, it wouldn't have the exact _same _properties as a human body as IRL Lightning. That's a great question though, keep 'em up.

**LoamyCoffee: **Amazing. Death can stir up a lot of different emotions, depending on the relationship one had with the one who passed. Sorta sad that Hasook died, means I can't smirk at him when he's playing the clarinet in a wedding band for Varrick and Zhu Li. It felt sorta nice, seeing him like that. But original means original. Again loving that you're getting deep in the culture. I feel awful for Korra, knowing that the White Lotus f*** up this bad.

**Re: **That _was _the impact I was going for, and not just for Korra. Since the main deaths in LoK were reserved almost-exclusively for the bad guys, I decided that Hasook had to take one for the team, while Zhu merely got a grazing shot.  
Also, I'm _really _glad you liked the bit of Fire Nation culture I put in; since Zhu has actually _traveled_, he's the perfect info broker whenever culture comes up, and the talk about trade relations and how it changed culinary culture was a fun way of more-directly linking the events of Avatar: The Last Airbender and Legend of Korra; which takes place 70+ years after the end of the prior's Canon. The _main _reason I did that however, was because the Flaming Fire Flakes in Avatar always looked really tasty, and I'd get hungry looking at them.

**Insanity2002: **YEY, ANOTHER CHAPTER! And thank you for refering to me, now how long should we wait for the next chapter and how many chapters until the others discover Zhu's secret?

**Re: **Can't really answer the first inquiry with any certainty, but when it comes to Zhu's secret… Who says he only has _one_~?

_***AIR***_

While Tenzin _wanted _to berate Korra in the days that followed for her altercation with the Agni Kai Triads that could've taken a turn for the very worst, Pema put her foot down reminding the bearded monk that nothing he said could make the poor girl feel any worse than she already did; as evidenced by how she refused to leave Zhu's bedside, even after he was able to sit up under his own power.

When it came to Lightning strikes, be they natural of Firebender-related, like electrocution, something that became a problem as _electricity _became widespread as a power source, survival rates were a bit of a tossup, with multiple variables influencing the outcome.

For one thing, what a person was _wearing _played a pretty big part in it. Since the power plant employed Firebenders by the dozens shooting lightning bolts into transformers all lined up in a row at all hours of the day and night, even though all the lightning was flying in one direction, there was still a margin for error, hence all the Firebenders were required to wear heavily-insulated rubber aprons and boots. As well as protective goggles once people figured out that the bright light caused by shooting Lightning out of your fingertips over and over and over again caused premature blindness.

Another factor that played into survival was how-long the lightning was inside the body, and whether or not it passed through the heart. In Avatar Aang's case, Azula's lightning hat shot up his leg and out his back, and if Katara hadn't used Spirit Water on him, the strike would've most-_definitely _been fatal, and the Avatar Cycle would've come to an end. In Zuko's case, while he _had _been able to redirect the lightning in that instance, it had still lingered long-enough to cause damage; damage that crept up on him during the course of his long life up to the present.

And of course, _water _played a big part in it. Water conducted electricity, as people began to figure out once people began to _store _it as energy, so if you were _standing _in it, unless you received medical attention right-away, you were pretty much _screwed_.

And of course, the _haste _with which you received medical treatment played a part in survival as well. While Zhu hadn't been wearing any form of protective clothing at the time, since he was able to discharge the lightning out of his body relatively-quickly while receiving medical attention almost-immediately after going down, his prognosis was actually quite good, and he was expected to make a full recovery.

Of course, his momentary fits of numbness and convulsions were their own source of trouble.

Or entertainment depending on who you asked.

_***AIR***_

_"Korra, come on, this is _really _unnecessary!" _Tenzin and his family heard the following morning at breakfast, their eyes drawn to the hall leading to the room.

_"Come on, I don't see what the big _deal _is! You carried _me _before, so I'm just returning the favor. Plus, you're still _injured_!"_

_"Maybe, but couldn't you carry me in a way that's a little _less _un-dignifying?" _Zhu asked as the door, opened, Zhu's still-recovering body held under Korra's arm like a bushel of wheat, the Avatar not strained in the slightest.

"I didn't think you were the sort to care what complete strangers _thought _of you," Korra hummed as she hefted him up with both hands and set him upon the cushion, fluffing it as though he were a doll on display.

"It's the _principle _of the matter…" Zhu grumbled.

"Zhu, I heard about what happened the other day. How are you feeling?" Jinora asked, concern lacing her tone.

"Hey Zhu! When you got struck by the lightning did you taste anything funny? One time I stuck a fork in the electrical socket and everything tasted like tin foil which is weird because I've never even _nibbled _on tinfoil let alone tasted it. Also, when you went down like grandpa Aang did, did you see the Spirit World or anything? People say when you're dying there's a bright light on the end of the tunnel but I never knew anyone who almost bit the dust," Ikki said rapidly.

_***BRRRRRRT!***_

In case you couldn't figure it out, that was _Meelo's _two yuan.

_"Thank you, distraction," _Zhu said grabbing a utensil and raising it to his lips. _"Agh!" _he winced as his arm locked up, his utensil falling messily from his hand.

"Are you okay?" Pema asked worriedly.

"Yeah… Just a rogue muscle contraction," Zhu grumbled as he grabbed his wrist with his other hand, fingers trembling before he forced it into a fist. "Guess that Lightning bolt isn't quite done with me, huh?"

"Here, Zhu, let me feed you," Jinora said raising some food up to his mouth.

"Hey, _I'm _the one who got him into that mess so that's _my _job!" Korra argued.

_'Ah, to be young and in love again,' _Pema sighed contentedly as the two girls penned Zhu in, Tenzin rubbing the bridge of his nose as Ikki peppered Zhu with questions and Meelo nodded off.

_***AIR***_

In the days that followed, with their former teammate avenged, the Fire Ferrets resumed their training for the Pro Bending Championships with renewed vigor. Since Korra didn't really have the kind of pull necessary to have the White Lotus fund their buy-in for the tournament and she'd gone the extra mile to help them resolve what happened to Hasook, Mako continued to insist that he'd find a way to pay the pot, having come across a decent-paying gig he could do in his off hours. Any attempts on Bolin's part to gather money were immediately shot down, since that was how he'd fallen into the hands of the Equalists in the _first _place.

On the more domestic side of things, tending to Zhu as he recovered from the aftereffects of the Lightning strike he'd taken for her imbued Korra with a sense of responsibility she'd never had until then. The most she'd had to do with Naga growing up was take her out running and make sure she was fed, but caring for an actual human _being _was a whole other kettle of fish. While Tenzin insisted on one of the White Lotus tending to Zhu's bathing requirements, Korra insisted, at the least, on everything else, be it helping him get around to keeping him fed when his limbs failed him.

No-one really talked about what happened with the Agni Kais, for similar reasons to why no-one brought up what happened with the Equalists. Both organizations were the responsibility of the Council to handle, so Tenzin insisted repeatedly that Korra focus on her own training, expressing pride at how she'd been able to find equilibrium between Pro Bending, tending to Zhu as he recovered, and her own Airbending practice.

_***AIR***_

A few days later, sunrise a scant time away…

"Lord Zhu, are you alright to be up so soon?" one of the White Lotus on patrol asked, the two of them standing before the women's dorms. "Shouldn't you be in the infirmary recovering?"

"I'm fine," Zhu insisted. "Korra was trained by the best Healer in the world, so it shouldn't be any surprise I'm up and about so soon."

"So then… Why are you up at _this _ungodly hour?"

"I couldn't sleep. Not for very _long _at least, so I thought I'd stretch my legs a little. Korra's been really overbearing as of late, so I'll take whatever leeway I can get," Zhu answered. "Also, what's with this _'Lord' _business?"

"Well, you put your _life _on the line to protect the Avatar when that was supposed to be _our _job, so we just figured-"

"I didn't almost get myself killed to save the Avatar, I did it to save _Korra_, so the next time you're all huddled around the water cooler shooting the breeze, you'd better get your facts straight," Zhu bit out angrily, the White Lotus standing up straighter at the teen's blood-chilling glare.

The next moment, a blood-curdling- "AAAUUUGH!" -pierced through the pre-dawn air, a worried howl from the stables following shortly after.

"KORRA!" Zhu cried in alarm, bolting for the women's dorms and kicking the door in before bolting up the stairs. His footsteps thundering up the stairs, powering through a fit of numbness that threatened to down him like a load of bricks, Zhu wrenched the door open with one hand and drew his knife with the other.

Blood pumping as his senses went into overdrive, eyes darting into every dark corner as he sought out what was making the Avatar scream bloody murder, it took him a few moments to realize Korra was completely _alone _in the room, writing atop her bed with a cold sweat beadding her forehead.

"Korra! KORRA! Snap out if it!" Zhu cried as he scrambled over to her, taking the girl's hand and putting another on her shoulder. "It's just a bad dream! That's all it is! NOW QUIT WIGGING OUT! YOU!" he shouted at the White Lotus that'd come in, his friends coming up after them. "GET SOME DAMN _WATER _IN HERE!"

"Y-Yes, sir!" the man saluted, only to get bowled over by Naga a moment later.

"Naga! Sit! Stay! HEEL!" Zhu cried before he and Korra were smothered by a thousand pounds of muscle and fur.

_***AIR***_

"Korra, what _happened_? You look _horrible_," Ikki winced that morning at breakfast.

"I… didn't sleep well last night…" Korra groaned, bags under her eyes and her hair a mess, despite Zhu's best efforts to tame it, even-then.

"Trust me, Aang's nightmares before the invasion of the Fire Nation Capital were _much _worse," Zhu commented as he combed the tangles out of her hair.

"And how would _you _know about that?" Korra huffed.

"I've done my research. Aang was surprisingly quite _honest _with his biography," Zhu hummed sagely. "Most would try to _hide _stuff like that, but Aang was either too proud to let that kind of portrayal get to him, or he just didn't know 'shame' the same way other people do."

"I think he just wanted the war to be portrayed _truthfully_," Jinora hummed aloud.

"Yeah, well… It's not like it even _means _anything. Probably just something I _ate _last night," the Avatar huffed.

"Korra, it's okay to be scared," Zhu stated. "No-one would blame you if that Amon guy got to you."

"Amon did _not _get to me! I am _not _afraid of him!"

_***AIR***_

Later that day when Amon made his announcement on the radio, the Avatar's expression betrayed her earlier words.

_***AIR***_

The following evening, after an intensive day of training now that Zhu no longer had to be coddled…

"We are grateful for this delicious food, for happiness, for compassion, and-"

"I'm not interrupting, am I?" a self-assured voice suddenly asked.

"This is my _home_, Tarrlock. We're about to eat dinner," Tenzin said sternly.

"Good, because I am absolutely _famished_. Airbenders never turn away a hungry guest, am I right?" the councilman asked.

"I suppose," Tenzin sighed. Pema, scowling at him, could only received raised hands and a helpless look.

"And Avatar Korra, so good to see you again," Tarrlok said bowing deeply. "I assume the paperwork I forwarded has been of much help?"

"Yes, I suppose it has," Korra hummed.

"And Zhu, good to see you again. I hear you were quite the help to the Avatar when she fought the Agni Kais in one of their strongholds, despite being a non-Bender."

"Just because I'm a non-Bender doesn't mean I'm helpless," Zhu stated in a neutral tone. "Something the Triads found out the hard way, from what I've heard."

"Yes, this Amon fellow _does _seem to be having his way of the place," Tarrlok hummed, before noticing the expectant eyes of the girl sitting across from him. " . . . Yes?"

"Why do you have three ponytails?" _*Sniff-Sniff* _"And how come you smell like a lady? You're weird."

"Well, aren't you… precocious?" he asked awkwardly at Ikki's inquiry, before turning his attention to Korra. "So, I've been keeping track of your latest exploits. Dismantling one of the Agni Kai Triad's cells _really _took some initiative. And that isn't even _counting _your infiltration of an Equalist rally; the closest _anyone's _come to piercing the veil of their secretive organization."

"Oh, well, thanks. I think you're the first authority figure in the city who's _happy _I'm here," Korra returned.

"Republic City is much better off now that _you've _arrived," he said with a winning smile, laying it on thick.

"Enough with the flattery, Tarrlok. What do you want from Korra?" Tenzin asked angrily.

"Patience, Tenzin. I'm getting to that," the councilman waved off. "As you may have heard, I am assembling a task force that will strike at the _heart _of the revolution, and I want _you _to join me."

"Really?" Korra asked in a surprised tone.

"What?!" Tenzin gawped.

"I need someone who will help me attack Amon directly. Someone who is fearless in the face of danger. And that _someone_… is you."

"Join your task force?" Korra said aloud. " . . . I can't," she said after a moment, turning her eyes down and serenely sipping from her drink.

"I must admit, I'm rather _surprised_…" Tarrlok said aloud, his surprise showing on his face for all to see. "I thought you'd _jump _at the chance to help me lead the charge against Amon."

"_Me, too,"_ Tenzin muttered quietly.

"I didn't think you _capable _of turning away from a fight."

-is what Zhu was wise enough _not _to say out loud.

Since Korra was the only one propping him back up every time Republic City knocked him down, it was prudent he _not _push her buttons too-frequently.

"I came to Republic City to finish my Avatar training with Tenzin. Right now, I just need to focus on that," Korra said cooly.

"Which is why this opportunity is _perfect_. You would get on-the-job experience while performing your Avatar duty for the city."

"Korra gave you her answer. It's time for you to leave," Tenzin said sternly, an annoyed edge mingling with his tone.

"Very well. _But_…" he said with a chuckle. "I'm not giving up on you just yet. You'll be hearing from me soon. It has been a pleasure, Avatar Korra."

"Bye-bye, ponytail man!" Ikki waved, completely immune to the atmosphere around her.

"Korra."

"Yes?"

"Good job," Zhu said with a smile.

"I don't know what you're congratulating me for. I was just being honest," Korra said turning her attention back to her food, Zhu and Tenzin shooting one another a look before turning back to their own meals.

_***AIR***_

Later that evening…

"Hello, fellow teammate!" Bolin greeted warmly.

"Hey, Bolin," Korra greeted in turn, stroking Naga's chest.

"Sooo… How are things?"

"They're good. Zhu finally recovered enough to be on his own, so other than a scar on his stomach, he should make a full recovery."

"That's good to hear," the Earthbender nodded. "I tell ya, when he threw himself in the way of that Lightning Bolt…"

"Yeah… It scared _me _too…" Korra hummed. "But enough about that! How're things with _you_?"

"Well… They're as good as they can get. We're probably out of the tournament unless a boatload of money miraculously drops out of the _sky _tomorrow. Anyways, the reason I came by was to give this to you. Ta-da!" he said holding out a bagged cupcake and a rose in a paper wrapper.

"Wow, thanks. That's this for?"

"Uh, oh, I can't remember now. Oh yeah, _now _I remember. You saved me from _Amon_, _that's _why!"

"Oh, that? It was no big deal."

"No big deal, are you _serious_?" he gawped incredulously. "I was totally freaking _out _when he was coming at me with his creepy mask all, 'I will take your Bending away forever'," he groaned comically with zombie-like motions. "I mean that is… That is _scary _stuff, I _still _can't sleep well."

"Mhmm."

"Delivery for Avatar Korra," the Council Page from before said coming into view, carrying a large gift basket with flowers, bigger than _he _was in fact. "Tarrlok sends his compliments and urges you to reconsider his offer."

"Tell him I haven't changed my mind."

At this, the Council Page could only bow before walking off.

"Who's this Tarrlok guy? Is he _bothering _you? Huh, 'cause I could have a _word _with him," Bolin said punching a fist into his other hand.

"Heh, no, it's not like that," Korra returned, somewhat amused. "He's just some old guy who works with Tenzin on the council."

"Oh, good. Good, that sounds better. I like that better," Bolin said drumming his fingers.

"Yeah, but somehow I don't think this'll be the end of it."

"_SPIRITS_!" Bolin squealed as he whirled. "Zhu! You almost gave me a _heart _attack, sneaking up on a guy like that!"

"My bad," Zhu waved off, his eyes turning to the gift basket before turning up to Korra. "All seriousness though, Tarrlok is a hardcore politician if I've ever seen one. This will _not _be the end of it," he said ripping into the giftbasket and pulling out a bar of chocolate, peeling the wrapper back.

"Oh really? And what makes you say _that_?" Korra asked breaking off a piece of aforementioned chocolate.

_***AIR***_

"Hey Korra, you remember that question you asked me earlier? The one you asked after I said the gift basket with flowers wouldn't be the end of it? Well _that's _why. _That's _what makes me 'say that'," Zhu said plainly as they eyed a luxurious reddish-purple Satomobile with silver accents and a fold-back roof, a "Convertible", a couple hours later.

"Does that count as harassment? I feel like it counts as harassment," Bolin hummed as Ikki and Meelo played make-believe.

"While the Satomobile _is_ a bit much, I wouldn't call it 'harassment' just yet," Zhu hummed.

"Oh really? And what _would _constitute 'harassment'?" Korra asked with crossed arms.

Zhu, looking at her plainly, leaned over to Bolin and whispered something in his ear, the Earthbender turning a beet red and whirling away a few seconds later, slouching as he refused to meet Korra's eyes.

"Y-Y-_Yup_! Th-That would do it," Bolin said awkwardly, his eyes darting to and fro.

"What did you _say _to him?" Korra asked incredulously as Bolin awkwardly walked away after saying he had to find a bathroom.

"I'll tell you when you're older."

"Oh, not _that _old line!" the Avatar groaned.

"I'm uh… Gonna go to the _bathroom. _Be right back!"

"Geez, what'd you even _say _to him?" Korra asked as Bolin made his exit, still slouching and refusing to meet Korra's eye.

"I both envy and pity your naivete," Zhu sighed, causing Korra to huff at his dismissive tone.

_***AIR***_

Later on, as Korra mulled over a talk she had with Tenzin after he happened upon the latest of Tarrlok's bribes…

"It doesn't matter how many gifts Tarrlok sends, I am _not _joining his task force!" Korra said angrily as she Earthbent the ground the Page was standing on 180 degrees before giving him a boot to the rear, sending the squeaky-voiced man stumbling forward.

"It's not a gift, it's an invitation," the Page returned holding out an elegant piece of cardstock, his tone indicative that he'd become used to being kicked around; maybe not _literally_, but 'used to it' still.

"An invitation to _what_?" Korra asked angrily as she took the papers from his hands and started reading it.

"Tarrlok is throwing a gala in your honor," he said with a bow. "All of Republic City's movers and shakers will be there. The councilman humbly requests your attendance."

The Page taking his leave, left Korra staring down at her invitation, which was probably the fanciest sheet of paper she'd ever been given in her entire _life_.

"This smells like a trap, but I doubt I have to tell _you _that," Zhu said as Korra eyed the invite.

"It _does _seem a bit fishy… On the other hand, if I _don't _show up, it'd reflect badly with all the 'movers and shakers' coming out to see me," she said testing the unfamiliar phrase on her tongue.

"I'm surprised you _thought _that far."

"Bite me."

"Maybe on our _honeymoon_~"

Her verbal thrust successfully parried and countered in full, Korra could only blush before turning to the invite.

"Tenzin's not going to like this…" Korra sighed as she found one addressed to _him _as well.

"Maybe not, but his influence in the Council is only as strong as he is liked by the others, so I don't think _either _of you have much choice in the matter," Zhu hummed. "Well, I guess it's a good thing Yanyu made you that nice _evening _gown, because if you showed up wearing _that_…"

"What's wrong with what I'm _wearing_?" Korra asked with a self-conscious flush.

"Nothing wrong with it by _itself_, but at a fancy _'gala'_," he said saying that word in an exaggerated tone, "I assume it'll be a 'black tie' event. I assume the White Lotus taught you how to wear clothing _other _than furs?"

Korra opened her mouth to rebuttal, but decided against it at the last moment.

She could accuse him of being racist as much as she wanted, but since they were both from the Water Tribes, anything he said about their own culture could just as easily be called "satirical".

_***AIR***_

That evening, Tenzin, Korra, and their respective entourage made their way to City Hall via Sky Bison. Flanking the entryway were two dark gray banners with Korra's likeness on them in white, the Avatar striking a confident pose with her fist on her hip, the characters signaling the nature of the event hovering behind Korra's right side. Two of Republic City's most-influential people stepping into City Hall alongside their entourages, they were greeted by bright lights, fancy food, live music, and throngs of people wearing their Sunday best. Even the waiters passing out drinks and Hors d'oeuvres looked like they could pass for royal help.

Tenzin and wife were clad in their finest Air Nomad robes, the slightly-elevated thread count giving off an exquisite sheen without deviating too much from the non-materialistic Air Nomad aesthetic. Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo were clad in what they always wore, but with dark red mantles thrown over their shoulders, their juvenile nature coming through loud and clear as they ran along the expansive room, the more-inquisitive of the three making the servers' lives a literal _Hell _as she asked whatever question popped into her head about all food and foodstuffs that caught her eye.

Korra, her hair done up in a bun but her side-tails, armband, and forearm warmers unchanged, was clad in an elegant dark-blue evening dress with light-blue trimmings and white accents, a pair of gray moccasins on her feet. Her shoulders left exposed and the silver brooch at her neck, the cut of the dress served to _accentuate _the Avatar's masculine build instead of concealing it, all eyes turning to her as they entered the sea of vibrantly-colored party-goers.

Zhu, trailing along behind the well-dressed Tenzin, was clad in a formal suit that could be considered the _parallel _to Korra's own attire; a distinct possibility considering Yanyu had been the one to make it, the two's color distribution quite similar. Its cut accentuated his slender build in a way that didn't make his back-length hair seem overly pronounced, the light-blue ascot around his neck somewhat muting his feminine jawline.

"I can't believe this is all for me," Korra said awestruck as she beheld the vibrant colors surrounding her.

"I'm not sure what Tarrlok's plotting, but keep your guard up. It's not like him to throw a party just for the _fun _of it," Tenzin said warily.

"So glad you could make it, Avatar Korra," Tarrlok said making his way towards them, his arms moving in overdone gestures. "If you'd excuse us, the city awaits its hero," he said walking away with Korra.

_"Zhu, can I count on you to keep an eye on her?" _Tenzin whispered.

_"You don't _even _have to _ask_," _Zhu said discretely following after them, and then sufficiently averting his gaze to the right as Meelo proceeded to use a piece of abstract art as a… Well…

It goes without _saying _what someone like Meelo would think abstract art of a certain shape would be and attempt to use aforementioned art for.

_***AIR***_

"Korra, it's my pleasure to introduce Republic City's most famous industrialist, Hiroshi Sato."

"Nice to meet you," Korra said following the intro.

"We're all expecting great things from you," Hiroshi said with a bow.

"Yeah… _Greatness,"_ Korra muttered sadly.

"Hey, Korra!" a familiar voice called out, Korra's eyes going wide at the familiar face coming toward her.

"This is my daughter, Asami," Hiroshi introduced, gesturing to a tall, shapely girl with full-bodied hair and a heart-shaped face; the envy of women of _any _age group.

"It's lovely to meet you. Mako's told me so much _about _you," the introduced Asami greeted sweetly.

"Really? Because he hasn't mentioned _you _at all," Korra said in a clipped tone. "How'd you two meet?"

"Asami crashed into him on her moped," Bolin said quickly.

"What? Are you okay?" Korra asked in a concerned tone.

"I'm fine. _More _than fine. Mister Sato agreed to sponsor our team; we're back in the tournament!" Mako said giddily.

"Heheh, isnt' that great?" Bolin asked excitedly.

_"Yeah, terrific," _Korra said in a markedly _un_excited tone.

"Excuse me, Mr. Sato," Zhu cut in diverting attention away from Korra before either of the Bending Brothers could catch wind of her lack of enthusiasm at recent developments. "Is it true you used to be a shoe-shiner before you became an industrialist? I've heard _loads _of stories like that all over the Earth Kingdom about successful people, but it goes without saying that sometimes those stories can become… _exaggerated_."

"Oh believe me, it's true; I'm a man of humble origins," Hiroshi returned warmly. "Of course, when I reflect on the halcyon days of my youth, even _now _I'm amazed at how far Future Industries has gone since its founding. Have you by any chance seen the new 'Convertible' Satomobiles? I'm quite proud of them myself," he said gushing like a parent proud of their progeny after a sporting event.

"Oh trust me, I'm _very _familiar with the newest model. Why, just this afternoon, Tarrlok tried to bribe-"

"Chief Beifong!" Tarrlok suddenly yelped out as the words "Tarrlok" and "bribe" were used in the same sentence. "I believe you and Avatar Korra are already acquainted!"

"Just because the city's throwing you this big to-do…" Lin said giving Tarrlok a look before turning her attention back to Korra, "don't think you're something special. You've done absolutely _nothing _to deserve this."

"Oh, _I _wouldn't be so sure about that, huhuhu~" Zhu chuckled mirthfully.

"And just what is _that _supposed to mean?" Lin bit out angrily.

"Oh, I don't know. Oh wait, I _do _know. Remember their teammate who got murdered and your best detectives dropped the case after five minutes, and then Korra raided an Agni Kai Triad stronghold that you only showed up to _after_-the-fact? I think _that _at the least is deserving of a gala, if not infiltrating an Equalist rally to exfiltrate one of her friends," Zhu replied cheekily, his eyes examining his nails.

"As I recall, you almost bought the farm because the Avatar went in half-cocked."

"That's half a cock more than the _police _put out," Zhu returned. "Pardon my crude language," he added in Asami's direction.

_"What does he mean by that?" _Asami asked.

_"I'll… tell you when you're older…" _Hiroshi returned _very _awkwardly.

" . . . I'm keeping my eye on your," Lin said after a moment, turning on her heel and walking away.

"Well, I must say. I don't think I've _ever _seen someone stand up to Lin like that who wasn't a Councilman," Tarrlok hummed with a bit of mirth of his own, staring to recover from the near-miss earlier.

"Well, what can I say? After you get tossed into a pit of Two-Headed _Rat_-Vipers, people just aren't all that _scary _anymore," Zhu shrugged.

"Hah! A pit of Two-Headed Rat-Vipers, that's a good one," Bolin chuckled clapping a hand to his back. "That… _was _a joke… right?"

"Maybe, maybe not~?" Zhu chuckled.

"Well, _you _certainly sound like an extraordinary young man in your _own _right," Hiroshi hummed aloud.

"Oh yes, Zhu has had quite the adventurous past," Tarrlok said jostling him by the shoulder. "Why don't you tell him about some of your adventures from before Republic City, while I introduce the Avatar to the other council members."

Before Zhu could protest, Korra was already whisked away.

_'This is totally revenge for the 'bribe' thing isn't it?' _Zhu questioned himself before his smirk turned devious. "So! As I was saying before," he spoke up loud enough for Tarrlok to hear, as well as the other partygoers around them, "_yes, _I'm very familiar with the newest model of convertible! Why, just this afternoon, Tarrlok tried to bribe-"

"You know what? The other councilmen are busy!" Tarrlok cut in hastily. "Korra, why don't you speak to Mr. Sato for a while, tell him about your Avatar training while I get the gang together," he said ushering her over.

"Oh, uh, _okay_," Korra said uncertainly, Tarrlok shooting Zhu a dirty look while he in question whistled innocently.

"Sooo… _What _was this about a pit of Two-Headed Rat-Vipers?" Hiroshi found himself asking.

"Ugh, all _kinds _of bullshit," Zhu groaned tiredly. "But before I get into that, Asami, did you _really _hit Mako with your moped?"

"I did," Asami answered with a blush.

"And you two are _dating _now?"

"Yes, why do you ask?" Mako returned.

"Oh, nothing, just… wrapping my head around the kind of 'play' the rich and well-to-do are into."

"Daddy, what does he mean by 'play'?" Asami asked.

"Oh, um… Uh… _Punch_! I'm going to get us some _special _punch!" Hiroshi said with a slightly red face before bolting off, leaving his daughter with a confused look while Zhu could only sigh at Asami's naievete.

_***AIR***_

"Zhu, have you seen Korra anywhere?" Tenzin asked a while later.

"No, I just got back from the bathroom and _SHIT_!" he hissed.

"What? What is it?"

"That no-good _rat_-viper!"

"What happened?" Tenzin asked worriedly.

"It's Tarrlok! The moment I let Korra out of my sight he-"

A cluster of echoing sounding from down the hall, Zhu and Tenzin hurried into the adjacent room when Korra's voice was recognized among the intermingling mob, Tarrlok and Korra standing atop a large staircase with a throng of reporters gathered out front, the latter of which looked like a Cat-Deer caught in the headlights as she was assaulted by camera flashes.

"Dammit! Tenzin, I'm _so _sorry!"

"It isn't your fault, I should've kept a closer eye on her. Maybe it isn't too late to-"

"I'm not _afraid _of anybody! If the city needs me, then… I'll join Tarrlok's task force and help fight Amon!" Korra said heatedly.

"_There's _your headline, folks!" Tarrlok said putting an arm on Korra's shoulder, a triumphant smirk directed Zhu's way for the briefest of moments before he went back to playing the crowd.

_"Of course you _realize_, this means _war_!" _Zhu muttered under his breath.

_"Welcome to_ my _world,_" Tenzin sighed.

_***AIR***_

**And once more we deviate from the Canon. At least starting next-chapter, with a special guest appearance from… Well… I'd ruin the **_**surprise **_**if I said anymore than **_**that**_

**But all things considered, I was able to put this one out **_**much **_**faster. Probably helped I was working off the Transcript though…**


	8. Pet Sitting

**LuckyShadowWolf: **I was originally going to lead with the next bit but after reading those parting words I have to address them asap! I absolutely love the Groncho Marx/Bugs Bunny quote you slipped in there for Zhu. It perfectly suited the scene and also was slipped in quite naturally. As to what I was originally going to start this review off with is in regards to you response to my "off the rails" remark, I meant that unlike what I have seen in many fics especially on this site is that when they try to incorporate original characters they have a tendency to basically follow canon events with little to no divergence to make it a story of their own. Anyways I have to wonder if Zhu is also going to be educating Asami so she won't be quite so naive and if Hiroshi is going to try to kill him for non-equalists reasons.

**Re: **Yeah, I felt that Bugs Bunny quote would've been _perfect _at that _exact _point in time; you can't beat a classic. And yeah, in a way I got tired of seeing so many stories where Canon was so-strictly adhered to, even with OCs added in, that subconsciously I try to go "off the rails" as much as I _can _without messing up the story structure.  
That Zhu would assume a similar role with Asami that he has with Korra is interesting, and I hadn't thought of it, so I'll have to consider that for future interactions between them. Honestly, I'm surprised no-one noticed the Danny Phantom line I snuck in at the end.

**skinnydude911: **That was a fun chapter to read.  
I especially love the whole naivete moments of not just Korra but Asami as well, showcasing how they've had a bit of a sheltered life in their own respective manners, along with the awkwardness of the adults knowing what Zhu meant at those moments. I especially loved how he kept poking Tarrlock's buttons when he brought the word "bribe" into a conversation with a respected and high powered person.  
I cannot wait to see who this special guest is next chapter and how Zhu will try to keep Korra out of... more trouble then she gets herself into.

**Re: **Yeah, the dialogue is one of the best parts of writing this story; both adapting the Canon and making something new. Asami and Korra _both _seem pretty sheltered, so that's probably why they got on so well once they got to know one another. As for the "bribe button" that kept getting pressed, that was a favorite of mine to write as well. Of course, Zhu, being human, had to go to the bathroom eventually which was when Tarrlok struck; hence, "character flaw".  
Also, the special guest isn't this-chapter, it's in the coming arc, but yeah, I hope what's to come as I go off the rails continues to be well-received.

**Blaze1992: **Very interesting fic, it is a nicely done OC surprised that he's only using a knotted sword and his limbs. i would've thought with the way your talking about him he would be like Mai from the original aka a walking armory.

**Re: **Yeah, I put a lot of effort into my OCs; beyond the "re-skins" you see in most stories at least. As for the Mai comment, that's an interesting idea that I _might _utilize later, but for the time being I have my _own _plan of tying him in to the previous generation.

_***AIR***_

Given Zhu had been friends with Korra long-enough to know that she would _not _be backing down from this fight with the Equalists after setting her mind to it, he didn't even _try _to talk her out of it after Tarrlok sprung his trap.

He definitely _wanted _to, make no mistake. However, Tarrlok had timed the execution of his ambush _perfectly _to the exact moment Zhu had left Korra's side to flush out the watered-down wine he'd been drinking that evening. Zhu could only guess that after Tarrlok's _initial _gamble failed, that he had to convince the reporters to _wait_ for an undefined period before they could get the exclusive they'd been promised.

Honestly, Zhu blamed himself more for what happened than he blamed Korra's pig-headedness and political naiveté, despite Tenzin telling him otherwise. Heck, even _Bolin _was able to follow what was going on after being caught up, and he _too _agreed that Zhu wasn't the one at fault. Of course, the Earthbender seemed to be _very _protective of Korra. It didn't take a genius to see _why_…

Moving on, Bolin _then _suggested that Zhu bring up the attempted blackmail to the press, but Zhu rebutted the statement by reminding him that the purpose of the bribe was to get Korra to join the Taskforce, and now that she _had_, of her _own _volition, the point was moot. And even if it weren't, Zhu had seen the "unrelated fiscal gift" card played so many times in the Earth Kingdom, that he just _knew _that would be the angle Tarrlok played if it were brought up in mixed company.

And thus, the springing of Tarrlok's trap remained unopposed, the councilman having gotten what he wanted in th eend.

That being said, Tenzin gave talking Korra out of it his _own_ best shot… to the exact result that Zhu predicted it would.

The gist of it was that it was the same argument they had when Korra had arrived in Republic City; Tenzin telling Korra she wasn't ready for the real world, Korra arguing back that she'd never _be _ready if she didn't go out into the real world. So on and so forth.

Honestly, it made the Sky Bison ride back home _very _awkward, and thankfully Jinora was smart-enough to plug her own ears for the ride, leaving Zhu and Pema's hands free to mute the conversation for the more-rambunctious of the three as the levels of vitriol concentrations continued to rise between master and student.

Suffice it to say, Korra and Tenzin _both _went to bed angry. Zhu _wanted _to talk to Korra about it, since going to bed angry wasn't really good for your health, but when Pema pulled him aside and suggested he give Korra some space, he took it to heart since he'd _seen _the wrath of a woman scorned in the form of a disgruntled prostitute with a _very _sharp fork.

. . .

For the record! _Zhu _wasn't the one who hired the aforementioned prostitute. He just happened to see what a disgruntled prostitute with a very sharp fork _looked like _one night in a tavern when her client failed to pony up the "service fees" she conferred in the back room.

Just wanted to make that clear. Statements like that could be taken out of context without proper… context…

_***AIR***_

The following morning, Tarrlok's personal Page made an early-morning trip to the island to deliver a correspondence to Korra detailing the rendezvous point and time for the mission briefing of the night's raid. No other details were given in the event the message was intercepted by the Equalists, only what room in the Police Headquarters had been sequestered for their purposes. All other information would be given on-site.

With some added info that their first mission would take place "after dark" and that she should get plenty of rest for an all-nighter, not wanting to deal with Tenzin, Korra took her breakfast to go before hunkering down into her bed, drawing up the blinds, and sleeping in for the first time in a long while. Part of it was in preparation for the night's mission, but another was simply to spite Tenzin.

With Korra more or less taking a leave of absence from Pro Blending, and Naga ineligible to participate in any missions since she was about as inconspicuous as a giant Polarbear Dog in a metropolitan setting could _get_, with the bulk of his responsibility otherwise preoccupied, Zhu decided not to look a gift Ostrich-Horse in the beak and took a little vacation from babysitting the Avatar, taking Naga off the island since Korra wasn't available to take her for any sort of walk.

_***AIR***_

"So, Korra's really a no-show?" Mako asked as he launched fireballs across the gym.

"Hey, at least _Korra's _reason for not showing up isn't that she's _dead_," Bolin bit out, sending an Earth Coin into the receiving net with a little extra oomph. "Besides, taking down Amon's important _too _you know…"

"Well, _yeah_, but _still_…"

"Last I recall, you were _not _fond of Korra's presence when you first met her. Or are you really so-enamored with 'the Avatar' that you think she's the exclusive property of the _Fire Ferrets_?" Zhu questioned from off to the side, leaning against Naga's shoulder.

"No…" Mako grumbled.

"Anywho, where's your new _ladyfriend_?"

"She's not my…! I mean not that I'd be _opposed _but…!" Mako stammered.

"Asami's out finalizing the design changes for our uniforms. Brand _new _uniforms!" Bolin whooped happily, arms raised into the air. "No more smelly hand-me-downs for _these _boys!"

"Well, good for you guys. Hope the _training _goes well."

"Yeah right. Without Korra here, we can't practice any of our formations, and if she spends too much time with _Tarrlok_, she'll get so-rusty she wouldn't be any better off in the Tournament than during her _debut_," Mako huffed.

"You know… I might be able to _help _with that," Zhu said drumming his fingers together.

"How can _you_ help? _You're _not a Bender."

"No, but I _know _Benders," Zhu shot back. "Tell me, does Buhtaka give you guys tickets for friends and family?"

"Uh… I can _check_, but… Why do you ask?"

_***AIR***_

"Mako, Bolin, these are Lee, Bumi, and Aki. They'll be your sparring partners up until the tournament," Zhu introduced a while later.

"And you know these guys from… _where _exactly?" Mako asked as he eyed them over. Lee was a slender Fire Nation man with his hair done up in a top knot, Bumi was Earth Kingdom built like a barrel with a shaved head, and Aki was an athletic-looking Water Tribe woman with her hair cropped at shoulder length. Each of them were wearing casual clothes indicative of their nations of origin.

"They're members of the White Lotus from the island over there," he said jabbing a thumb over his shoulder. "They have built-up vacation days, and they're big fans of Pro Bending, so helping you guys train will be a win-win for _all _of you."

"If we have to waste time training _newbies_, we'll _never _get anything done…" Mako groaned.

"You're not going to be teaching them how to play the game. _You_, are going to practice 'rolling with the punches' against all three Bending Forms you'll encounter in the tournament, and _they_, are going to act as incredibly-physically-fit moving targets."

"Wait what-" Lee sai-

"This will be your first time in the Pro Bending Tournament, but everyone _else_…?" Zhu trailed off ignoring all protest. "They're _veterans_, and with a boatload of _Yuan _on the line, they're going to dodge faster, hit _harder_. Greed might be the downfall of any sensible person, but it's still a powerful motivator up until the other shoe drops, so if you're going to have _any _chance of winning this tournament when there's blood in the water, you've got a gap to close, and these guys? They bend the elements for a _living_ and can go toe-to-toe with most military. You couldn't _possibly _ask for better sparring partners without paying out the ass for it."

"Wait, we aren't getting _paid_?" Aki asked.

"You're getting front-row seats for the tournament now that the Fire Ferrets have ponied up for the pot. _That _is your big pay day," Zhu said flatly.

" . . . Fair enough," the woman replied.

"Anywho, the three of them know what they can and _can't _do in a Pro Bending match, so you shouldn't have to worry about any surprises from them. Aki here is a Healer to boot, so don't be afraid to get roughed up a little bit. Just don't get _too _roughed up. The best Healer stationed on the island is a hardcore traditionalist and wouldn't leave for something so 'juvenile'," he said making air quotes, "so Aki here is the best you're going to _get_."

"Who died and made _you_ coach?" Mako bristled visibly.

"Do you _have _an actual coach?" Zhu asked quirking a brow as he looked conspiratorially around the gym.

"Well, _no_, but-"

"Then until you can come up with a _better _training regimen before the tournament while Korra is in absentia, I suggest you get to work," Zhu said flatly. "Come on, Naga. Let's go take that walk you've been wanting."

_***Bark***_

"Wait! Would you mind taking Pabu with you?" Bolin asked holding out aforementioned ferret.

"And he can't stay with you because…?"

"Ah, well, I just don't want him getting hit by a stray fireball or something… _Again_…" he trailed off awkwardly, the Fire Ferret hissing in Mako's direction before a pat to the hand calmed the critter. "Besides, he's been cooped up inside too long, and I think the two of you should bond as well."

"Alright then…" Zhu hummed as Bolin set Pabu down, the tiny mammal scurrying up to him and sniffing at his feet before scampering up his leg and coiling around his neck. "You can add 'Pet Sitter' to my resumé, I guess."

_***AIR***_

"Naga! Slow down girl!" Zhu cried from atop Naga's back as she galloped down the coastline of Republic City at a full clip, Pabu curled up inside his shirt and poking his head out the collar, the wind whipping both their hair back.

_***Woof* *Woof***_

"I get it! I _get _it! You wanna run like you have the land all to yourself, but you _can't _do that _here_!" Zhu cried as those who couldn't pick up on his screaming scampered out of the way.

The only reason he wasn't getting pulled over by police was because the pedestrian walkway was large-enough to accommodate the large fauna sometimes brought into Republic City.

"Naga…! I… said… _heel_!" he ordered forcefully as he hauled back the reigns, Naga yelping as she padded to a slow, a low whine leaving her lips as she was drawn into a stop. "Good… girl…" Zhu sighed as he pat her atop the head. "Now listen, I'll take you for your walks until Korra gets back, but you have _got _to work with me here. You get T-boned by even _one _of these screaming metal deathtraps, and it won't _matter _if the best Healer on the continent is your owner," he said gesturing to the Satomobiles in the distance. "Do you understand me?"

Naga nodded in turn, ears drooping down.

"Good. I guess Animal Guides are _smarter _than your average bear," Zhu sighed.

"Hey, you think he's talking Platypus Bear?" one pedestrian enjoying a smoke off to the side asked.

"No, I just mean 'bear'," Zhu stated.

"Certainly you mean _Skunk _Bear," the pedestrian's buddy corrected.

"Or an Armadillo Bear," a third offered.

"_Gopher _Bear?" the first pedestrian groused.

"No! Just…!"

Deciding he didn't have to explain his turn of phrase to complete strangers, he snapped the reins and left the peanut gallery behind.

_***AIR***_

Though his previous stays in Republic City had been short, barely enough to learn _anyone's _name, the one person he _had _come to know, at least by name, was an old bounty hunter by the name of June whenever he happened upon any "runners".

Though the name had become popular among Earth Kingdom girls after the war because of the pivotal, if not indirect, role she had in helping bring an end to the war, the June he knew insisted she was _the _June from way back when.

The notion of course was _ridiculous _since if that were true she'd have to be around 100 years old, yet barely looked any older than her late-30s, and apart from Aang, _no-one _aged that gracefully.

Well, Avatar _Kyoshi _aged that gracefully, but she was an Avatar and had an insane amount of lifeforce accumulated over a 230-year period, so she was the exception to the rule.

Then again, the original June owned a Shirshu, and Shirshu venom had powerful paralytic properties, so it was _possible _it could be used to slow the aging process, though if that were the case, Zhu could only _speculate _how that were done.

"So, the prodigal son returns~" the woman known as June greeted jovially, her eyes crinkling in a broad smile. Her attire consisted of a black sleeveless pantsuit with bicep-length gloves, a skull-shaped band holding up a black topknot with gray streaks running through it. For a woman of her alleged age, June was in phenomenal shape, her body refusing to buckle and shrink under the rigors of age like so many others had.

"Hello, June," Zhu returned as he walked in through the double doors of the Bounty Hunter's guild hall. "Slow day?" he asked eyeing the empty seats at the bar.

"Yeah… With Amon running around taking peoples' Bending away, all the _big _bounties went to ground or ran for the hills," June answered. "We still have a few small-timers if you're interested," she said inclining her head toward a wall of wanted posters.

A moment later the double doors burst in, Naga's impressive frame weaving between the tables before she tackled Zhu to the ground, eagerly licking his face.

"So you really _are _shagging up with the Avatar, eh, Zhu~?" June asked with mirth.

"Nothing… like that…" Zhu said fighting her off. "Naga, I told you to stay outside!"

"You know, if you need help reigning in a large animal, I'm something of an expert," she said with a knowing smile. Hanging over her right shoulder was a large sepia photograph of a curvy bounty hunter standing beside the massive frame of a Shirshu. Shirshu _too _had experienced an explosion in popularity after the war, though the temperamental nature of the pups and whatever mothers some poor sap attempted to _steal _said pups from, brought about an end to that trend in only a few years.

"I'll keep that in mind," Zhu said pushing Naga away and getting to his feet, making his way over to one of the sparse wanted posters on display. "You got any spares?"

"A few. Why? Someone catch your eye?"

"Less eye-catching and more… if I hang around the Avatar long-enough I might run into them all on my own."

"Yeah… The Avatar definitely got around. Good times. Good times…" she said nostalgically.

_'I still don't know if she's the legit_ June _or not_…_'_ Zhu thought to himself as his eyes shifted between the beginnings of crow's feet, to the woman's shapely frame.

Not that he'd ever let himself becaught staring.

_***AIR***_

"Let's see…" Zhu hummed atop Naga's saddle as he let the girl walk freely down the sidewalk, a sheaf of wanted posters in his hand, Pabu looking over his shoulder. "Petty theft… Attempted arson… Dine-and-dash… Bail jumper… Yeah, pickin's are'a little thin, huh girl?"

_***Arf!***_

"Ah, don't worry. Not like I'm really _banking _on seeing any of these guys," Zhu returned, stroking her head. "Still, better to have these just-in-case, you know?"

At that, Naga nodded her large head.

"Huh. Guess you really _are _smarter than your average bear," Zhu hummed. Leafing through the posters one more time, he was about to put them in Naga's saddlebag before his eyes caught movement across the street.

Blue eyes honing in on a café across the street, the movement he caught was from a heavy-set Earth Kingdom man with a stress-balding head and a distinctive scar under his left eye. Bringing one of the posters up to his face, he looked between it, then to the man, then down to the poster and reading the charges.

The man from the poster was a Bail Jumper who'd offended one of the socialites of Republic City. The bounty on him wasn't enough to buy a used Satomobile off of, but the chunk of change for wrangling his fat ass and dragging him back to the guild hall wasn't anything to sneeze at either.

Seeing the man wiping beads of sweat from his brow with a brown handkerchief that was potentially at one point _white_, with a master tracker at his disposal, Zhu saw an opportunity, and he went for it.

"HEY YOU!" he shouted leaping from Naga's shoulders and running across the street, causing the man's shoulders to hitch, his head whirling around over his shoulder. "YEAH! YOU! WITH THE _FACE_! STAY WHERE YOU ARE!"

The man from the wanted poster doing the exact opposite, he bolted from his seat as though someone had lit his ass on fire; something that happened more-often than you'd imagine all things considered.

"No, wait, come back…" Zhu said in a lackluster tone as the man ran around the corner, the cloth he'd been cleaning his brow with fluttering to the ground, forgotten, those nearby shooting odd looks between Zhu and the man that'd just bolted. "Oh darn. He got away," the long-haired teen said languidly as he ambled on over as though he had all the time in the world. "Oh well," he shrugged, reaching down for the discarded kerchief and holding it up to Naga's snout by the least-brown corner as she came up to him. "Naga: Track."

The Polarbear Dog sniffing the sweaty kerchief and Pabu reeling back from the 'stank', after a couple moments of nostril-flaring the husky girl let out an affirmative bark.

Dipping her head between Zhu's legs and throwing him atop her back, the teen was almost thrown completely off her saddle as she made a break for it, the teen screaming as he rode reverse saddle down the street and around a corner.

_***AIR***_

It took several life-harrowing seconds before he was able to get Naga under control, but by the time he did and yanked Naga's reins back, the man from the wanted poster had completely bolted.

Just as Zhu had planned.

With a prime scent sample in hand that wasn't wearing off any time soon, Naga wasted no time in tracking the sweat-saturated fugitive down. Her nose to the ground as Zhu kept her in check, the world traveler gave the man a long berth so he wouldn't catch sight of the giant predatory dog tracking his every move.

Eventually, their pursuit took them to the western end of Yue Bay, packed to the gills with warehouses filled with imports and exports from every corner of the world.

_"Alright, Naga, listen up. The only time a man on the run heads for the shoreline is to get on a boat, so from here-on-out I'm leading us on foot. Last thing I need is to _spook_ a guy into stealing a whole damn boat,"_ Zhu said quietly. _" . . . Okay, I know you're smarter than your average bear, but it can _not _be a good sign that I'm talking to you like you can actually understand what I'm saying."_

Naga nodding her head in understanding, padded beside him as-lightly as her frame allowed, Pabu chittering nervously until Zhu began stroking him reassuringly.

Eventually, the trail came to an end, Zhu's blood coursing through his veins and he pushed the whole of his weight against Naga's chest to push her back, the wide rear of the bail-jumper in sight across the way.

_"Listen, I've got _money_. Loads of it. You ship me out of Republic City and it's all yours," _the bail-jumper said to two thuggish-looking Watertribesman. Zhu, looking up above the warehouse doors, saw the symbol of the Water Tribe, only instead of blue or white it was in brilliant crimson; the emblem of the Red Monsoon Triads.

_"Ugh, the Triads a_gain_?" _Zhu groaned as the bail-jumper negotiated with the two thugs. After a few minutes the sub-door opened, the unmistakable musk of penned animals wafting out and into the air, Zhu's eyes, sharpened from years of wandering the Earth Kingdom wastes, catching sight of numerous caged beasts from within. Whipping out his spyglass and peering in, Zhu caught sight of at least _three _highly-dangerous beasts before the bail-jumper was ushered inside, the thugs' beaks sufficiently whet.

A moment later the door closed, and the scent of animal musk began to vanish.

_"I feel like I _really _stepped in it this time…"_

_***Whiiiiine***_

_"No, no, it isn't anything _you _did…" _Zhu said stroking her muzzle, looking over his shoulder and memorizing the warehouse's number before ushering them away. _"Come on. Let's get your furry friends out of there. I think I saw a baby Saber-Tooth Moose Lion missing a mommy."_

_***AIR***_

" . . . You said you had a message for me from Tenzin," Lin said brusquely in her office, having quite _begrudgingly _allowed Zhu entry after her personal assistant alerted her to his presence.

"Yeah, well, after the way things went between us at that gala, I kinda figured a lie like that was the only way you'd agree to see me."

At this, Lin visibly bristled, rising from her seat-

"I found an animal smuggling base under control of the Red Monsoons," he cut in before she could give him the steel-tipped boot.

" . . . I'm listening," Lin said returning to her seat, fingers tented before her.

"I spotted a bail jumper with a bounty on his head and had Naga follow after him. At the end of the trail there was a warehouse on the western end of Yue Bay owned by the Red Monsoons. The bail jumper ducked inside for sanctuary, but I was able to spot at least _three _rare animals that are _not _supposed to be brought into Republic City before the door closed."

"I probably know which warehouse you're talking about. We've had our _suspicions _for a while, but we've never been able to act on it because we didn't have a warrant and we could never _get _one. Owners of that warehouse are too-well connected, and any sort of inquiry would just have them move their product."

"You don't _need _a warrant if you have 'probable _cause_'~" Zhu said with a mirthful grin.

" . . . Alright, kid. You've got my attention. What do you have in mind?"

_***AIR***_

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Lin? The kid's going in there without _any _backup," one of Lin's most-trusted officers said to her as they hid atop the roof of a nearby warehouse, looking down at the Red Monsoon stronghold with a periscope.

"Unless you've got a _better _idea to get officers in there, I don't see much choice. Besides, it's not like we're flush with volun_teers_," Lin replied gruffly.

"But won't the Avatar get upset if anything happens to her friend?" another asked.

"If she were that worried about his safety, she shouldn't have gotten in bed with Tarrlok," Lin huffed angrily.

"I did _not _need that image in my head," another officer retched.

"Oh get _over _it, you wuss. I didn't mean _literally,_" Lin sighed tiredly, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "You have sight of him yet?"

"Not yet… Not yet… No, wait! He's here!" the officer with the periscope said. Pulling up in front of the warehouse was a brand spanking new Satomobile with purple-colored paint and silver accents, the roof drawn up. The vehicle's driver stepping around to the passenger's side, the officer's brow quirked as an elderly figure with a hunched back stepped out into the open. "Um… What is he _wearing_?"

"Let me see that," Lin said snatching the periscope from him, aiming around before she spotted the front of the door. "Oh you have _got _to be kidding me…"

_***AIR***_

A minute earlier…

"Hey, old timer! You _lost_?" one of the Red Monsoons asked as an elderly man stepped out of a fancy Satomobile and sauntered towards them, cane in hand.

The old man was clad in a nice evening suit of Water Tribe colors, his back hunched and a fancy walking stick in hand. There were wrinkles spread across his face, a bushy white mustache seeming to grow out of his nose, and atop his head was a conical hat, a bushy matting of white hair spilling down to his shoulders. Dangling from the front of his neck in place of a tie was what looked like a dead Fire Ferret.

"I ain't lost, idjit! I'm here to _buy _something, whippersnapper!" the old man said in a wheezing tone.

"_What _did you say to me?" the Red Monsoon thug bristled.

"I called you an _idjit_! You got _beans _stuck in them ears!" the old man said shaking a fist at them. "Now, I'm here to buy a nice critter for the grandkids, and if you think you can get in the way of that, I'll put you over my knee and give you such a _paddlin_…!"

"Look, sir, I think there's been a mistake here," another, more _amicable _Red Monsoon said trying to defuse the situation. "We don't have any animals in here."

"_Ostrich-Horse _feathers!" the old man spat. "Your boss said I could buy critters here, and my time is _his _money, and by _god _if you think you can stop me… _What _was your name again? I'll have to tell him _someone _sent me back empty-_handed_," he said turning on his heel to go back to the car.

"Wai-wai-wai-wai-_wait_, hang on, sir! There's no reason to drag the _boss _into this!" the amicable Red Monsoon said putting an arm around the old man's shoulder and whirling him around. "I uh… don't believe we ever caught your _name_."

"Bonzu. Bonzu Pippinpaddleopsicopolis. _The Third_."

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Pippin…paddle…opsicopolis," the goon said juggling the word on his tongue.

"What are ya, slow in the _head _or something?"

"No, just… tongue-tied."

"That's what _she _said," one of the Red Monsoons chuckled, the one walking Bonzu into the warehouse making a throat-slashing motion with his hand as the doors began to open.

_***AIR***_

"I _cannot _believe a disguise made of Sky Bison sheddings is actually _working_," Lin stated as she watched the proceedings.

"Believe me, it's working. He's in," the other officer said, the door beginning to close behind him.

"Alright… Then we get on the roof and wait for his signal."

"And that signal would be…?"

"Probable cause."

" . . . Okay out of _curiosity, _how do you know it's made of Sky Bison sheddings?" another officer asked after a moment.

"I can smell it from _here_," Lin groaned, pinching her nose. "Shut up. Stay focused. We need to have Zhu's back in a _second_. Wouldn't want an angry _Avatar _on your asses, would you?" she asked mirthfully.

_***AIR***_

"So, as you can clearly see, Mr. Pippinpaddleopsicopolis," a fast-talking Red Monsoon began.

"_The Third_!"

"Right…" the manager on-site stated with a roll of his eyes. "As you can see, we've got quite the selection for only the _most _discerning of clients," he said leading the old man by a wall of cages both big and small. "Have some from all _over_."

And the guy wasn't kidding. Ring-Tailed Winged Lemur, Koalaotter, Snow Leoopard Caribou, Cat Owl, Sooty Copper Fritillary. If you could slap a pricetag with lots of zeros on it, it was here.

"Ugh! What is that _smell_?" Bonzu groaned holding his nose.

"Oh, that's one of the Skunkfish."

"People _pay _for those things? With _money_?" he asked skeptically.

"Oh yeah. Heard they make all kinds of _perfume _with that smelly shit."

"Wait, is this a… _Sky _Bison pup…?" Bonzu asked with a raised brow. Sitting in one of the cages was an infant Sky Bison, its pen barely large-enough for it, the creature looking totally defeated with a pitiable whine leaving its muzzle.

The sight was utterly heartbreaking.

"Yes indeed. One of them wandered off the reserve and one of our own picked him up," the field manager answered, rubbing his hands together. "These're _especially _valuable over in the Earth Kingdom. Between you and me…" he muttered, looking from side to side. _"The meat off these things costs more than I make in a month, but the _taste… _Mwah," _he said kissing his fingertips. _"Well worth the price."_

"Right… I see…" Mr. Pippinpaddleopscicopolis hummed thoughtfully as he stared at the Sky Bison pup.

_***AIR***_

_"MUUUURDERRRRR!"_ a wizened old voice screamed from inside the warehouse, so-loud it rattled the windows_. "BLOODY MUUUURDERRRRR!"_

"Well, that's probable cause if _I've _ever heard it," Lin hummed. "Look alive, ladies! We're going in!"

_***AIR***_

Inside the warehouse, as the Red Monsoons' eccentric client ran around the warehouse flailing his arms above his head and _literally _screaming 'bloody murder'…

"Someone shut the old man up before-"

_***CRASH!***_

"Shit! It's the _cops_!" a Red Monsoon thug yelped as the skylights crashed inward, a half-dozen Metalbending Police rappelling towards them.

"Quick! Cut their lines!" another shouted, firing blades of water upward only for the Metalbenders to unhook the lines and sail downward, their 'Meteor Punch' sending the floor rippling in all directions, tripping the Red Monsoons up as the floor bucked beneath them.

"What the hell's going _on _out here?!" a massive man in a tacky red suit with blue accents demanded as he stepped out of an office, Lin dropping down in front of him with a heavy _***THUD!***_

"Probable _cause_," Lin smirked, snapping out two metal lines into the door frame above the man's shoulders before leaping into a flying knee kick to the nose that caused the air to shudder.

"This could _not _get any worse!" one Red Monsoon cried as he launched a torrent of water at a Metalbender, only for a slab of earth to block the shot.

"BE FREEEEEEE!" Bonzu yelled uproariously as he began undoing the padlocks on the cages, various animals both great and small pouring into the chaos, choosing to overwhelm their captors instead of running purely wild.

"You just _had _to say it!" another Red Monsoon spat before a pair of teeth sunk into back of his suit and hauled him upward, an irate Sky Bison pup hauling him into the air before dropping him atop another Red Monsoon, the two hitting the floor in a tangle of limbs.

"Seal all entrances! Don't let any of them escape!" Lin said as she bent a section of floor into a sheer wall in front of the door some of the Red Monsoons were running towards.

"The Triads or the animals?" one of the cops asked, doing the same before the back-entrance.

"YES!" Lin answered as she and some of the other cops began blocking exits, penning both Triads and fauna inside a massive earthen bowl.

The Triads in turn attempted to gather water from the barrels they kept on hand in case a fight broke out, but Lin expertly knocked them over and smothered them with granules from the stone floor, leaving the Triads with mud whose water was even further from their grasp when it was hardened into clay.

And where was "Bonzu Pippinpaddleopscicopolis" when this was all going on?

_He _had vanished without a trace, and instead there was a young Watertribesman wearing the old man's clothes running around knocking the Triads down like dominoes after raining blows down their exposed backs.

_***AIR***_

After the Triads had been apprehended, all that was left was corralling the animals that'd been loosed to keep the Triads off their game. Or at least those that hadn't managed to escape in the chaos.

You'd think such a thing would be _beneath _the purview of the Metalbending Police, but in actuality, another function of their metal armor was to protect them from dangerous animals; especially those with very large teeth, powerful venom, or very large teeth _and _powerful venom.

Of course, as the paddywagon wheeled in to take the Triads away, some of them expressed grievances about their warehouse being raided without a warrant. Lin of course was all too pleased to say that she was _honestly _responding to Probable Cause. And suffice it to say, an old man screaming 'Bloody Murder' both literally and metaphorically from inside a long-suspected Red Monsoon warehouse gave _ample _grounds for Probable Cause.

And of course, because of the various endangered animals present in the warehouse, some being kept in sub-par living conditions, and the Triads would be going away for a good long while now that the dust had settled and they hadn't had any time to wipe away their paper trail.

_***AIR***_

"Hey Zhu, I need to ask you something," Lin said as the Red Monsoons were carted away.

"What is it, Lin?" Zhu asked as he picked strands of Sky Bison hair from his own.

"How'd you know your bail-jumper would still be here by the time we all arrived?" Lin asked jabbing a thumb at the man from the poster being hauled out of the barrel he'd hidden himself within.

"Honestly, I didn't," he shrugged.

"Huh? Then… why'd you come all the way back to the precinct to recruit our help?"

"Because stopping the Red Monsoons from smuggling these rare animals was more-important than me getting paid a bounty," Zhu shrugged.

"I see…" Lin hummed, gaining a contemplative look for several moments. "You there!" she shouted at an officer walking the cuffed bail-jumper towards the front door.

"Yes?"

"Escort that man to the bounty office so Zhu here can get his money," Lin said jabbing a thumb his way.

"Ah, of course, ma'am," the officer replied.

"_Don't say I never _did _anything for you," _Lin whispered into his ear before walking off to supervise the transfer of Triads into their paddywagons.

" . . . Well alright then," Zhu said after a moment, turning to the officer and his prisoner in tow.

_***Thwack***_

"Auugh!" the bail-jumper cried as he was struck in the right hip.

"What'd you do _that _for?" the officer asked as the man's right leg went limp.

"To stop him from running off," Zhu answered. "Come on. We'll throw him over Naga's back and get to the bounty office."

_***AIR***_

The trip to the Guild Hall was uneventful, the only thing odd about it that a prisoner was being escorted through town draped over the back of a one-of-a-kind animal. Of course, Korra's ownership of a Polarbear Dog had already become common knowledge, so the connection between Zhu and her was swiftly made, which meant there was no end to all the reporters or gossip-mongers hunting for juicy tidbits about Aang's reincarnation.

When the presence of an officer of the law wasn't enough to dissuade them, a nerve cluster strike to one of the hips was enough to do the job.

The handoff in question was uneventful as well, Zhu stuffing his money in his coat after giving the officer who'd accompanied him a decent-enough tip.

With his business concluded and not wanting to spend too much time in town wearing a really nice suit with a pocketful of cash, he decided to make his way back to Air Temple Island.

"Well, I don't know about you, girl, but I'm _exhausted_," Zhu sighed as he picked more Sky Bison fur out of his hair, Naga trailing behind him with Pabu resting atop her head.

_***Arf!***_

_***Chitchitchitchit!***_

"Yeah, okay, fine, I'll get you some kebabs for your good behavior," Zhu sighed, the sound of fur rustling across concrete causing him to halt in his tracks mere moments after Naga came to a sudden stop. "So… You heard that doo."

In response, Naga barked quietly, she and Zhu going back to back, Pabu's hackles raised.

Moments later, the question regarding who was stalking them was answered.

"You…!" Zhu gawped as a muzzle filled with teeth dove towards him.

_***AIR***_

"Zhu…"

"Yeah, Tenzin?"

"I've been very amenable with you so far, giving you free reign over this island in a way most outsiders aren't given, so I feel the need to ask…" the old Airbender paused, taking a deep breath through his nose before letting out a long exhale. "WHAT IS _THAT_?!" he cried, pointing a finger at a Shirshu pup the size of a large dog lounging lazily in front of the men's dormitory, Naga and Pabu giving him a wide berth as the eyeless creature snored lightly in the afternoon sun.

"That's a _Shirshu_. Your father was hunted by one back during the Hundred Year War."

"I know _that_-"

"Then why'd you ask what it was if you already _knew_?" Zhu asked cheekily.

"I _meant_, what is it _doing _here."

"Then why didn't you do that in the _first _place?"

"I _did_. It was _implied_."

"How is asking what a Shirshu _is_, implicative of asking why it's _here_?"

" . . . I'm beginning to see why you and Korra get on so well," the man sighed after a moment. "Alright… Just so I can be abundantly _clear_… _What, _are you doing with a Shirshu pup on my island?"

"Technically this island belongs to the _universe_, not a single individual."

"That wasn't what I meant…" Tenzin sighed. "Look, can you explain to me _how _you came into ownership of a Shirshu pup?" he asked, gesturing to the red collar around the creature's neck, an ordinary silver dogtag dangling from underside as the Shirshu rolled over.

_***One explanation later…***_

"So you _honestly _roped Lin into help you claim that bounty?"

"Nooo. Getting those animals out of that smuggling ring was more important. Getting my bounty was a happy accident," Zhu countered as he idly stroked the Shirshu's muzzle.

"And that thing isn't attacking you because…?" he said warily as he cast a nervous look at the Shirshu once again.

"I'm just good with animals," Zhu replied with a smile like someone holding back a really good story.

"I see…" Tenzin hummed tersely. "And… I assume you have the _paperwork _for that animal?"

"Rare Animal License and tags of ownership," Zhu waved off. "Relax. I'lll keep akamaru in line."

"You _named _him?" Tenzin gawped.

"You name _your _animals," Zhu said with a flat stare as he flattened a reddish streak of fur atop the creature's head, which had yet to run all the way down its length.

"Yes, but _they're _Sky Bison, completely docile. Not like… _that _thing!"

_***HSSSSSSSHA!***_

"Aaaugh!" Tenzin yelped as the Shirshu hissed at him.

"Oh, so Korra as-irresponsible as she is can keep a pet, but I can't?"

"Zhu, don't you know how _large _those things can get?"

"Bigger than _her_, that's for sure," he said jabbing a thumb Naga's way. "Anyway, I thought you'd be _happy _I busted an animal smuggling ring. They had a baby _Sky Bison _in there for spirits' sake!"

"They _did_?!" Tenzin gawped. "Come to think of it, I _did _feel like one of the pups went missing a few days ago."

"Yeah… Listening to a Sky Bison pup crying kinda set me off into a frenzy…" Zhu admitted. "Plus, I got a kickass _pet _out of this, so it's a win-win for _everyone_!"

"Well… If your Shirshu just-so-happened to attack a certain Councilman 'by accident', I wouldn't necessarily be opposed."

"Why _Tenzin_, is that you holding a _grudge_~?" Zhu asked with a wry smile.

"Oh heavens, no. All I'm saying is, 'if your Shirshu just-so-happened to attack a certain Councilman 'by accident', I wouldn't necessarily be opposed.'"

"Rrriiiiight~" Zhu nodded. "Anyhow, I should get going. Jinora will probably wanna see a real-life Shirshu since the books don't do the real thing justice."

"Just…! Don't let any of my children get hurt…" Tenzin said quietly.

"Ah, don't worry. Even if they get a literal tongue-lashing, a juvenile Shirshu's venom only works for _minutes, _not hours."

"That _doesn't _make me _feel _better," Tenzin groaned. "Then agaiiiin… A Shirshu _could _be useful in keeping a _certain someone _in line~"

"Tenzin, I'm not having Akamaru tongue-lash Korra into submission," Zhu said flatly.

"Right, no, of _course _you shouldn't…" the monk returned apologetically.

_"I_ wanna be the one to tongue-lash her into submission~"

"Wha-buh-whe-_HUUUUUH_?!" Tenzing gawped with a red face, eyes wide as saucers in shock.

"Oh myyy~" Pema cooed, having walked in on something _especially _juicy.

"HA! Oh man, you should see the _look _on your face!" Zhu cackled wildly.

Tenzin, his head turning as red as his robe, was about to express some "choice words" with Zhu when, Akamaru, smelling the fury coming off of the man who smelled like onion and bananna juice, hissed in his master's defense, barbed tongue whipping out at the air causing the man to yelp in what the Shirshu interpreted as fright and ever-so-slightly soil himself.

_***AIR***_

**AN:  
It occured to me that, in the Canon, the way it's _framed_ is that Korra spent _one night _hunting Equalists with Tarrlok, and that was "all it took" for the media to decide that Amon was "hiding" from the Avatar; even though she'd only been with the Task Force for a single night.**

**To that end, there will be a mini-arc before you know what comes next, and NEXT-chapter in particular will be a joy to write because of that guest appearance I promised. Look forward to it~**


	9. The Billion Yuan Man

**Sparda B-312: **Nice choice for a pet! I wonder what Korra's reaction is going to be?

**Re: **She might possibly freak.

**LoamyCoffee: **I needed this. Delightful antics of Zhu not having to babysit Korra~ Oh yes, this is good. Hmm, Luckily this is fanfiction, which means if you wish for the venom to have that sort of attribute, you can! Oop, now I'm thinking of Toph and Katara and how they could've used this. Bad me. Back to the story, I'm curious who could've told Zhu about that disguise~  
Liking the focus on the police, cause I usually don't see people do so. With Akamaru at his side, they're to have some adventures! Really eager to watch the show again.

**Re: **Yeah, kinda my way of showing the world doesn't _completely _revolve around Korra. As for Toph and Katara, they _chose _to age the way they did, so I don't think they'd apply any speculated use of Shirshu toxin to themselves. As for who told Zhu about "Bonzu Pippinpaddleopsicopolis the Third", that was taken from one of Aang's autobiographies, but it's such an obscure reference that no-one would even _remember _it, let alone be able to _pronounce _it without much practice.  
As for including the Metalbending Police, I thought I'd shine a bit of light on them, since with their retractable steel cables, they can rappel into a building like SWAT, and I think that's awesome.

**Blaze1992: **So much trolling and comedy in 1 CH granted I wanted to see the brothers get their a**'s handed to them by the trained benders.  
Anyway what I meant by the Mai comment last CH was him having more weapons than just the sword like Mai's throwing knives. I did not mean for him to be the descendant of her but that is a cool idea too.

**Re: **Well, the focus was more on the _animals_, not their owners. Of course, Zhu getting his hands on a Shirshu has long-lasting consequences to the Canon and where I choose to deviate. Of course, "the brothers get(ting) their a**'s handed to them by the trained benders" _is _a good idea, so I'll definitely mention it here.  
Just the sort of nugget that can be dug up with a good back-and-forth between Reviewer and Author, because _normally_, I would've looked that kind of thing over.  
As for Zhu having "more weapons", firstly, I didn't mean to infer that Zhu was Mai's descendent, because he isn't. "Nextly", he's a Vagabond/Nomad, so he can't carry a _ton _of random crap on him, and in his case, "less is more"; if he's _implied _to have lots of "loot", he'll fall under the attention of Bandits, but if _not_, they'll leave him alone. Sure, a _sword _might be tempting loot, but only to a novice, because a _dead _bandit can't spend their money, and they have no way of knowing if he's a "novice" or a "master".

**superpierce: **never really read any avatar fanfiction but this definitely is a great story so far love Zhu's character and that this isn't a first person view but third person

**Re: **Well I'm glad I made such a good first impression.

**(Guest): **:I Love All the Callbacks to ATLA You've Done in the early chapters Little Tidbits Here & There and this latest One is Great With Introducing Cool Old Lady June to The Story she was Awesome on the Old Show & I Bet Zhu Met Other Characters from the Original series Especially From The Old 'Gaang'

**Re: **Yeah, it was a joy putting those in. I was able to get the DVD Box Sets for cheap at a used book store, and refamiliarized myself with them. AtLA has aged remarkably well, but I feel like LoK could've been handled a bit better; no different from most FanFiction authors. "Old Lady June" was fun to put in, because who says only Katara, Toph, and Zuko could've survived from way back when? As for whether or not Zhu met any of the original Gaang…~

_***AIR***_

Predictably, Jinora was utterly _enraptured _to see a real-life Shirshu so close, going into Lecture Mode about various training and grooming techniques she'd gleaned from the many books she'd read. She also went on to comment that while full-grown members of the species were able to pursue runaways across _literal _continents, that very few bounty hunters were actually capable of _taming _the ornery animals into a work ostrich-horse.

"Still, this one seems to like you a great deal, though it couldn't be through animal imprinting, it's too _old_."

"What can I say? I guess I'm just good with animals."

"I suppose I can agree on that. Naga doesn't take to stranger that well. Took us a few visits for her to let _us _near her."

Ikki, also-predictably, had a million and one questions to ask, like…

"Why doesn't he have eyes? Is he _really_ a 'he' or a _she_? If he or she and a non-Shirshu had babies would the babies have eyes? Do you think it could help me find the socks that go missing after laundry day?"

And so on, and so forth.

Kid's lung capacity must've been _huge _to keep blathering on so long without breathing.

As for Meelo…

_Meelo_, he…

Meelo…

Um…

Well, let's just say it didn't take Akamaru long to make his dislike of the youngest Airbending child known, and leave it at that.

I need not go into further detail as to _why_… Hopefully…

Korra in turn was either sleeping the day away in preparation for the night's anti-Equalist raid, or was isolating herself from everyone else because she didn't want Tenzin to talk down to her about her life choices.

Zhu hadn't known Korra long, but he knew _women. _And _because _of that knowledge, he knew not to interrupt her beauty sleep, nor talk down to her like Tenzin at this critical junction, lest she maul him like a mother Sabertooth Moose-Lion protecting her cub.

When it came to whether or not she fought the Equalists, Zhu didn't have strong feelings for them one way or the other.

At least not _yet_.

He could definitely understand taking the Bending away from _criminals_, but somehow… he doubted taking _ordinary _people's Bending away would magically do away with all the world's problems as Amon _implied _would happen. Heck, way _he _figured it, even on the off-chance Amon _did _erase Bending from the world, people would _still _find some stupid-ass reason to fight one another over, and in lieu of Bending they'd just invent _new _ways to slaughter one another by the thousands. And for all he knew, the bloodshed would probably _worsen _without Bending.

Not that he'd ever voice as such on an island _filled _with Benders.

Sure, Pema _said _she'd like for her fourth baby to be "a nice non-Bender" once or twice when he helped her out with the chores, and with the way her current hyperactive children acted, Zhu could understand the sentiment. Of course, he could also see in her eyes that Airbending or no Airbending, she'd love that baby no matter what.

Which of course meant that if _Amon _had a problem with that baby, then _Zhu_, would have a problem with Amon.

But _that_… was a story for another day.

_***AIR***_

Zhu woke up the following morning with Akamaru curled up at the foot of his bed, and Korra once-again snoring like a log, so-loudly that Zhu could hear her from his own dorm room window.

Initially he _questioned _why the men's and women's dorms were so-close together even though the Air Nomads were supposed to be _celibate_, but apparently it was _because _of this toted celibacy that the gender-oriented dorms were allowed so-close together. The only exceptions made were in the case of marriage, and even then, recreational intercourse was a no-go; sexual congress was only allowed when the _intent _was to sire offspring, and given there was only a single woman cultivating the fruit of Tenzin's loins, short of something _magical _happening, the Airbenders weren't going to make a comeback any time soon.

Thoughts of Air Nomad sexual policy pushed to the back of his mind, Zhu entered the dining hall and was about to get breakfast from the servers when Jinora came up to him, tugging his sleeve.

"Yes?"

"Aren't you going to have _breakfast _with us?" she asked softly.

"But Korra isn't _here _with me today."

"That doesn't mean we don't want _you _with us."

"Oh?" he asked with a raised brow. "And here I thought I was the Avatar's 'Plus One'."

"Maybe at first, but you've really _grown _on us!" Ikki said excitedly. "Come on! Mom won't let us eat until we're all there!" the excitable girl said grabbing his other sleeve and hauling him away with deceptively-high strength for a seven-year-old.

_***AIR***_

Suffice it to say, Zhu was touched to find he still had a place with Tenzin's family, even without Korra in tow. There was just something so… _soothing _about having a caring mother nearby, even if she weren't his own. The Airbender kids added a little vitality to what was normally a tranquil affair just outside those doors, but Tenzin's own stoicism as he read the morning paper served to round things out among his family.

"Sooo…" Zhu hummed as he gave the front page a once-over. "Korra really went through with it, huh?"

"Yes, it would seem so…" Tenzin grumbled.

"And I take it there's only Waterbenders on Tarrlok's taskforce because water causes less _collateral_?" he asked eyeing the black-and-white picture.

"Yes. That's _one _reason for it," Tenzin bit out.

"Geez, what crawled up _your _bed robes and died?" Zhu asked. "I'd have thought a man privy to an adequate amount of coitus like yourself would always be in a better _mood_."

"Daddy, what's 'coi-tus'?" Ikki asked innocently.

"And like that-" Zhu said scarfing down the rest of his breakfast, "my work is done here. You have a nice day. I'm going to take the animals for a walk."

"Zhu, wait, don't leave me _alone _with them!" Tenzin cried frantically as Zhu vacated the small dining room.

" . . . Does 'coitus' have anything to do with where babies come from?" Jinora asked after a moment, Pema stifling a giggle at the exchange.

_***AIR***_

"Zhu… you… are a _sadistic _bastard…" Mako groaned the moment they locked eyes.

"Well _that's _a fine 'how do you do'," Zhu huffed with crossed arms.

"You never told me you rolled like _this_…!" the Firebender said pointing to Lee, Bumi, and Aki who'd reported bright and early for training alongside the Bending Brothers.

"Mako. They're White Lotus. Bending proficiency is heavily _implied_," Zhu aid with a roll of his eyes. "Their job is to police the entire _world_, you think they can't handle a couple of _athletes_?" he asked skeptically. "What, did you think being a Pro Bender meant you could go toe to toe with real _soldiers_? That's like suggesting you're on 'Teen' Zuko's level just because you can bend Lightning too."

" . . . I could probably take him…"

"Mako, at the most you're a 'beat cop'," Zhu said flatly. "_Zuko_, at your age, was a master infiltrator capable of sneaking into fortified military outposts, and Firebending _master_, on _top _of being a master swordsman. It's no contest."

"And just how do _you _know how strong Zuko was when he was my age?" Mako huffed with crossed arms.

"I. Read. _Books_," Zhu said plainly.

"Mako, don't upset Pabu's sitter," Bolin chided as he walked over, Fire Ferret in hand whom leapt up onto Zhu's shoulder and coiled around his neck. "Sooo… Who's your new friend?" he asked looking at the Shirshu apprehensively.

"It's a long story. I'll tell you later," the long-haired teen replied.

"Dude, don't you know how _dangerous _those things are?" Mako asked, a wary eye on the eyeless creature.

"They're only dangerous if you don't know how to handle them," Zhu said as he idly stroked its head, the Shirshu sitting and leaning up into it, his tongue lolling out his mouth. Naga on the other paw out a low growl as she sidled away, Pabu chittering before scurrying atop the other quadruped. "Wanna pet him?" he offered.

"Ooh! _I _want to!" Bolin said excitedly.

_***Hissss***_

"Uh… _Rain _check on that one," Bolin amended a moment later.

"Good call," Mako deadpanned. "So, have you seen _Korra _lately?"

"No, but I _have _heard her," Zhu answered. "Girl saws logs like there's no tomorrow."

"Hey, snoring's not a deal-breaker for _me_," Bolin said with raised hands, Mako giving his brother a look. "Uhhh, I meeean…" he squeaked trying to find a different topic to speak of. "SO! What's on your planner for today?"

"Oh, you know. Take Naga for her walk, hope nothing _weird _happens to me," Zhu answered.

"I would think that 'weird' is already following _you_," Mako said looking at the Shirshu derisively, the eyeless creature hissing its own distaste.

"Which reminds me for whatever reason; how _has _your training with these guys gone?" Zhu countered.

"Oh, well, it's very… intense," Bolin said tersely as he rubbed his backside, nursing what Zhu assumed to be a bit of bruising. "Can't exactly practice taking hits _myself_, so its definitely a new experience."

"Yeah, I imagine you _would _flinch away from hitting yourself with earth coins," Zhu nodded. "Well, I'll leave you to it. Try not to _die_."

"Did you _have _to word it that way?" Bolin whimpered as Zhu left, a beefy hand clamping down on his shoulder causing him to shudder.

_***AIR***_

Zhu and his animal friends probably made for an odd sight as they made their way down the Republic City thoroughfares. In one hand he had a leash with a Shirshu pup leading away, its eyeless visage a rarity and an oddity even in the cultural melting pot of Republic City. Trailing well behind on his _other _hand was an incredibly rare Polarbear Dog, keeping her distance from the Shirshu with a Fire Ferret resting atop her head.

So yes, despite all the weird animal hybrids that moonlighting and even professional pet-walkers undertook, Zhu beat them all in terms of oddities.

He didn't really have any particular destination in _mind_, he mostly let Akamaru take the lead, sampling the new scents he would never be able to come across in the wild.

However, he knew that he'd _have _to go where he'd been dreading eventually, so after he'd put it off for as long as he thought appropriate, he decided to take that bitter medicine and get it over with.

_***AIR***_

"Say it."

"_Fuck_ you."

"After you _say _it~"

"You're _really _going to force me on this?"

"I'm at half-moist. I, _need_, to hear this."

"Fine… You, were, right!"

"Aaaahhhhhhnnnn~"

"Jump up your own ass and _die_!"

-was the exchange that Naga, Pabu, and Akamaru were privy to once their two-legged companion took them to a place that smelled of old paper and ink, beer, blood, vomit, and even a little piss.

"Hey, at least there's no-one else here for our little… _exchange_~" June cooed, "otherwise this _scene _would have the Avatar thinking you were into old _ladies_."

"You're not _that _old," Zhu counted, still refusing to accept that this barely-wrinkled woman was _the _June who hunted down Korra's previous incrarnation. "Now are you going to give me those notes or not?"

"Here you go. Everything I know about Shirshu raising. And _breeding_~" she cooed holding out a well-used leather-bound journal.

"I'll stick with the _one _Shirshu right now. Thank you very much."

"Who said I was talking about _Shirshu~_?" June asked coyly.

" . . . I need an _adult_?" Zhu said worriedly.

"I _am _an adult~" June said batting her eyes.

" . . . "

" . . . "

" . . . "

" . . . "

"I'm going to _go_."

"Come on by if you ever want that V-Card punched~ Hell, it doesn't even have to be _me_. I'm sure there's a 'guild girl' or two around here who'd be _more _than happy to-"

_***SLAM***_

_***AIR***_

"On the off-chance that one of you gains the capacity for human speech… we are _never _to speak of this again," Zhu said as he fast-walked away from the guild hall.

_***Arf!***_

_***Hsaaaaa***_

_***Chitchitchitchitchitchitchit***_

"I'll take that as a _'yes'_."

_***AIR***_

Digging into June's journal, particularly in the area of domesticating _wild _Shirshu to raise them as trackers as opposed to raising one from birth, one of the early kernels of knowledge was leading your Shirshu pup through as many scent trails as possible before putting them to work; as a way of exposing them to as many smells as possible. An amendment of course was tacked on at the end concerning how this should _not _be done at an abbey with perfume-manufacturing _nuns_; not even with a fully _grown _Shirshu, since so-many prominent odors would essentially _blind _a Shirshu to everything going on around it and cause it to run off for several hours.

In _most _backwater towns and villages where very little changed, normally this would be a daunting challenge.

However, this was Republic City, a major trading hub and a _melting pot _of culture from all corners of the globe. Hence, between the fish markets, spice merchants, animal traders, and meat peddlers, there were many such scents to go around.

Fortunately he had the insight to wheedle a Rare Animal License out of Councilman Tarrlok before things went _sour _between them, otherwise walking a Shirshu around town would be next to im_possible__._

And thus, Zhu guided Akamaru away from the main thoroughfares choked down with Satomobile fumes, and instead directed his new friend's olfactorily-gifted snout through the side and back-streets of Republic City, where "old world" goods were bought, sold, traded, and combined in new and inventive ways on a daily basis.

It took all his strength and the application of… _alternative _animal coercion techniques, but eventually Akamaru understood what was going on behind him and helped reign the larger animal in tow in with a hiss through snarling lips and a flicker of his barbed tongue through sharp teeth.

Naga, realizing she couldn't guide Korra's potential mate wherever she wished anymore, reluctantly agreed to go along with it, trailing shortly behind Zhu as he led Akamaru through the various scent-laden commerce centers Republic City had to offer.

Once or twice he was pulled aside by the Metalbending Police and asked to display his license, the frequency of which could readily be construed to "harassment", but seeing as how Zhu _maintained _his Rare Animal License on his person whenever he was out on the town with Naga and lever let it leave his sight, any attempts to haul him away to the station, likely on Councilman Tarrlok's orders, were sufficiently rebuffed.

On the upside, Akamaru had the opportunity to sample multiple brands of metal polish, bearing oil, and axle grease. Though based on the crinkling of his star-shaped snout it was _obviously _far from pleasant.

_***AIR***_

"Note to self: stay _away _from the spice market for the foreseeable future," Zhu hummed to himself as Akamary lay on the sidewalk, his paws over his muzzle as the Shirshu let out a whimper. "There there, buddy. There there," he said patting the Shirshu's head. "Where the heck _are _we?"

Given it was _Akamaru _who was taking the lead for the past hour or so, following whatever scent his star-shaped snout came across, Zhu had lost all bearing of where he'd wound up.

Based on the architecture, the four of them had wound up… relatively close to where Korra had had that altercation with the Triple Threats right after getting off the boat.

Looking around now that he wasn't solely focused on his pet, he'd noticed that the shops were still open, but there was a definite undercurrent of… _unease_, about the place.

Clearly word of the Equalists' secret anti-Bending weapon wasn't so secret anymore, because there didn't appear to be _any _triads around. You would think the shopkeepers and such would be more _lively_, but ironically-enough that was no longer the case. While before, people on break or in retirement would play board games on improvised tables and benches, now the streets were almost completely bare, the shopkeepers either digging themselves in behind their counters which were being excessively cleaned, or fidgeting as they swept the street in front of their stores, taking furtive glances at everything that moved.

_"If you know what's good for ya, you'll give us your _money_," _a muted voice said from around the corner.

"So much for no _Triad _activity," Zhu said as he started tip-toeing to where the sound was coming from, Naga and Akamaru silently padding along behind him while everyone else on the street turned away.

Peering around the corner, Zhu caught sight of two people in a back alley being accosted by a trio of Triple Threat thugs. Nothing _too _remarkable about them, in _extremely _stereotypical clothing. It was the _two _that caught his interest.

The male of the two, Southern Water Tribe he supposed, looked to be in his late thirties. His skin was lightly-tanned, his dark brown hair wavy and perfectly coifed away from his face, his eyebrows expertly groomed as was his thin mustache. His attire by and large was on the _flamboyant _side of Water Tribe fashion, the sort of thing that would make you the center of attention at a fancy party, but still be rather _painful _to look at. Compared to the woman beside him he appeared to be taking all this quite in stride.

The woman next to him, much more distressed, appeared to be of mixed Earth Kingdom/Water Tribe descent if her gray-colored eyes were any indicator. She was mousy in appearance with small circular spectacles, her hair drawn up into a short wolftail atop the back of her head. She was possibly in her mid-thirties, clad in secretarial garb in Water Tribe colors, the sort you'd wear when not wanting to stand out in the work place.

"Didn't you hear me! I said give me your money if you know what's good for ya!" the Firebender of the trio bit out making a flame knife appear in his hand.

"And like _I _told you before, I don't give out money to _hooligans_!" the well-dressed man stated with a flamboyant wave of his hand. "Zhu Li! Do the thing!"

"I don't have any honey."

"Not the _tea _'thing'! The _other _thing!"

"You just said you don't give out money to quote/unquote 'hooligans'."

"Not the _money _'thing'! The other-_other _thing!"

_*Gasp!*_

_***SLAP!***_

"Ow! What'd you do _that _for?!" the man demanded, nursing a reddened cheek.

"I don't do_ those_ kinds of favors!" she said with a flushed face.

_'I have no idea if they're legitimately stalling for _time _anymore, or if they're just airing something out that really shouldn't be aired out in mixed company…' _Zhu thought as he watched the exchange. _"Akamaru, I'm not sure how-potent your venom is, but try to get the one on the left. Naga, if you can understand me, you and Pabu take the guy on the right. Middle's mine."_

At this, Naga yipped in affirmation.

"Who's there?" the Earthbender on the left suddenly demanded.

_"Looks like we're doing this _now_," _Zhu muttered. "ATTAAAAACK!"

"Where'd _they _come from?" the Waterbender yelped as seven hundred pounds of Polarbear Dog came stampeding toward him. Throwing a block of ice from the waterskin at his side, Naga's fangs bit into it mid-flight, crunching down on it before she tackled the man to the ground, paws on his neck pinning him to the ground.

On the left side of the alley, the Earthbender sent chunks of cobblestone up at Akamaru. The Shirshu pup, due to lack of eyes, had senses even greater than his contemporaries, allowing him to weave effortlessly through the attacks by feel alone before shooting out his tongue at point-blank range.

"OOOOh!" Zhu winced as Akamaru's barbed tongue struck one of the more… _tender _areas of his chosen Triad's body. "You should _definitely _see a doctor about that."

_"Uhhhngh…"_

"Relax, I'm sure you'll be fine… I think."

"DIE!" the Firebender screamed as he came at Zhu, the nomad ducking below the first plume of fire and jabbing the pressure points in the man's arm. The Firebender attempting a follow-up attack with his remaining arm, was struck in the shoulder causing it to go limp. The next moment he attempted a kick only for Zhu to deliver a pair of jabs to his thigh. Foolishly the Firebender attempted to attack with his _other _leg, but standing on nothing but a limp noodle caused him to fall to the ground in a heap, Zhu finishing him off with a series of jabs that'd leave him prone until the police arrive.

"Yowza, that was _incredible_!" the well-dressed man gawped openly before adjusting his tie. "So… Who wants brunch?" he asked as though nothing had happened.

" . . . The heck is '_brunch'_?" Zhu asked incredulously while the woman named Zhu-Li rubbed the bridge of her nose.

_***AIR***_

_Apparently_, "brunch" was a new sort of meal this guy had invented. "Too late for breakfast but too early for lunch", the man had said, which basically meant you could eat whichever you wanted.

Could you even _invent _a new meal of the day? Sure, he'd been a vagabond for half his life, but he was pretty sure you couldn't just _invent _new meals…

Maybe it was a rich-person thing.

"Sooo… _What's _your name again? I didn't quite _catch _it among the… dialogue," Zhu said as he sat across the man in an outside diner in the more-upscale part of town, his secretary standing dutifully behind him.

Whoever this guy was, he apparently held a great deal of clout because the police didn't harass him even _once_ on the way there. Between the fancy duds and the luxury Satomobile which he and Akamaru had ridden in while Naga and Pabu trailed behind, the guy had to be _loaded_.

"Ah, of course, _where _are my manners. I, sir, am Iknik Blackstone Varrick! Captain of industry and Biz-Bender _extraordinaire_! 'Varrick' for short," he greeted with a bombastic bow. "And you are…?"

"Zhu. Of the Northern Water Tribe."

"Ah, yes, the North. Tell me, does everyone up there still have a stick up their-"

"Derriere," Zhu-Li interrupted, given they were in mixed company.

"_That _too!"

"Yeah… Pretty much," Zhu answered after a moment. "Part of why I left, actually?"

"_Really_? What's the _rest _of the reason you left?" Varrick asked with a raised brow, sounding genuinely interested as he leaned forward on his elbows.

"It was pretty much _all _racism, so the rest of it doesn't matter," Zhu said deflectively.

"Ah. Got a little half-and-half going, eh?" Varrick said nodding his head sagely as he eyed the teen up and down. "Yeah, part of why I don't do much business up north either. Then again, they've barely imported _anything _since the war, so they've got their own supply lines. Though, they don't have anything on _me_, I tell ya that much."

"Varrick… Wait, you're _that _Varrick? Of Varrick Global _Industries_?" Zhu asked as the gears started to mesh.

Sure, he may've spent years at a time out in the boonies, but even _he _had heard about one of the richest men in the world.

"Eeeyup!" the man said with a bombastic swing of his arm. "The one in the same! Richest man to ever come out of the Southern Water Tribe."

"And a guy with that much money couldn't afford more help?" Zhu said glancing up at Zhu-Li. "No offense."

"None taken," the woman replied.

"Eh, I had bodyguards before, but they seriously cramped my _style_," Varrick waved off with his hand.

"Well, maybe you should reconsider. If me and my furry friends hadn't shown up and the Triads caught wind of who you were, things could've gotten…"

"Complicated?" Zhu-Li offered.

"Yeah, that," Zhu nodded.

"Anyhow, seeing as how you saved my life back there, this now makes you my best friend, because that is _totally _how this sort of thing works!" Varrick said with a shameless smile.

Zhu wanted to _countermand _that statement, saying that was in fact _not _how 'this sort of thing' works… But then he realized that having a billionaire call him his "best friend" could actually solve a great deal of _problems _that might crop up in the near future.

"I _couldn't _agree more," Zhu nodded, whereas Zhu-Li sighed, easily speculating what was going on inside his head as she rubbed the bridge of her nose.

Women were scary like that.

"So, how do you take your coffee?" Varrick asked nonchalantly, the whole "best friend" thing seemingly set in stone, the waiter on standby.

"I like my coffee the way I like my women; strong and dark," Zhu replied without missing a beat.

"Ah, a coffee connoisseur, eh?" Varrick asked with an appreciative nod. "I'll have what _he's _having! Your most-expensive blend!" he said to the server.

"Yep. Fell in love with the stuff during my tour of the Fire Nation," Zhu nodded in anticipation. "Spent more time in the Earth Kingdom by comparison, but after a year of drinking the stuff, I just got tired of hot leaf juice."

"That's technically what tea _is_," Zhu-Li stated bluntly.

"Well _you're _certainly sassy," Zhu said with a flat stare.

"Eh, I prefer a little sassiness in the workplace; lets me know they're paying _attention_," Varrick said jabbing a thumb her way. "So, how _is _the Avatar doing these days?"

"You _know _her?" Zhu asked with a raised brow.

"Not _personally_, but I _was _the guy that shipped all that earth and rock down to the South when she was training," Zhu answered. "My shareholders told me a man couldn't _make _money shipping literal boatloads of earth and nothing else to the far corners of the world. Showed _them_!" he said with a toothy grin.

"You know, I was _wondering _what Korra used to practice Earthbending down south…" Zhu hummed to himself.

"I know, _right_?" Varrick asked with an excited gleam. "So, what's the deal with the eyeless hybrid?"

"It's a long story."

"Hey, I'm _rich_! I've got nothing _but _time!" Varrick replied, his secretary mouthing 'humor him' behind the man's back.

"Well… it all started when I was taking the Avatar's Polarbear Dog for a walk."

_***AIR***_

"Damn~ That's a good cup of coffee~" Zhu sighed contentedly a while later, the white porcelain mug in his hands serving as a brilliant contrast to the jet-black fluid held within.

"Huh, so you take it _straight_?" Varrick asked, his coffee a muddy brown from the three creams and four sugars.

"Sure do. Though sometimes I _will _be a bit adventurous and add milk," Zhu nodded. "The _history _of coffee is actually quite fascinating, if you care to hear it."

"Maybe another time," Varrick shrugged as he dug around in his coat. "Today's walkabout didn't give me any breakthroughs for the consumer market, but I made a lifelong friend with super-powered animal friends today, so the outing wasn't a _total _wash. Here, take care of the tab for me will ya?" he said slapping a fat wad of bills down on the counter, Zhu's jaw dropping and his eyes goggling as Varrick and his secretary made their way out. "See ya later, kiddo! Stay cool!"

"Varrick, wait, this is way too much-aw crap…" Zhu muttered as the billionaire left, a fat stack of bills _far _more than enough to pay their conjoined tab staring up at him with the previous Avatar's face. " . . . I'll just hold onto this for later," he said slipping the ludicrous amount of money into his coat pocket, quashing any sort of guilt at being handed so many bank promissory notes. "Waiter, some coffee cakes if you'd be so kind, and a large bowl of water for my animal friends."


	10. Spirit Food

**superpierce: **another glorious chapter of the chronicle of Zhu.

**Re: **"Glorious", eh? Think that might be a new one.

**LoamyCoffee: **When I saw the chapter title my thought was one of two things, either this would be another bounty hunting adventure or Varrick and his lovely assistant Zhu-Li~ Very pleased~ Also enjoyed that reference~  
Love the potential of Zhu being friends with him, it's going interesting considering Varrick's actions in canon.  
I wouldn't put it past him to try pull Zhu into his shenanigans, and Zhu will likely try and get his aid should the need arise.

**Re: **Yes, yes, the reference was intended title-wise, and _could _be misleading. And who knows, maybe somewhere down the line I'll throw in a steampunk cyborg or some other nonsense like that, since at the end of Book 4 we have a legit _Beam Cannon_!  
And yeah, I figured, I could either hold off on Varrick until Book 2, _OR_, I could bring him in early and have him turn the Canon on its head with his presence in-story.  
As for whether or not Zhu gets pulled into any shenanigans, let's just say that Book 2 in Chronicle of Zhu won't be as straightforward as Book 2 in the Canon.

**Hero of the Multiverse: **Nice job on how you introduced Varrick.  
And when you think about it, someone did have to get all of that earth material to Korra so she could train with it. So nice little touch there.

**Re: **I know, _right_? I mean, what was she _going _to practice Earthbending with otherwise? _Permafrost_? So yeah, when I considered that there'd be plenty of ice for Waterbending and chi for Firebending, it only makes sense that in lieu of _actual _Earth, some would have to be brought in; mainly because the floor of Korra's childhood home was _earthen_.

**NinjazNeverDie: **Zhu and Varrick best friends, that scene was nice. Though I started reading this story for Zhu x Korra. I don't want to rush you just saying. And for God's sake don't let Korra be in other relationships that was one of the several worst parts of the show. But I believe you could write Korra perfectly with your OC.

**Re: **Well, I might have there be a _little _Book 1 relationship shenanigans before Korra and Zhu get together~  
Can't have things go _too _smoothly for her, you know?

**Blaze1992: **. . . On one hand I applaud his self control over his "urges" but on the other he turned down crazy cougar/milf action.

**Re: **More like "GILF", assuming she's the SAME June and not the daughter of the original.

_***AIR***_

Since she was four years old, Korra never wanted for anything.

When she was hungry, she got food.

If she was cold, she got more blankets.

She wanted a Polarbear Dog for a pet, the White Lotus footed the bill on any and all associated expenses.

While it was equally true she'd spent most of her life holed up in a middle-of-nowhere ice fortress and barred from fraternizing with her kinsmen for most of the year save the Glacier Spirits Festival, it was also equally true that, _as _the Avatar, a certain exemption from working for a living came to bear.

And then the anti-Equalist raids started.

Changing her sleep schedule so she could stay awake through the night, Korra spent all hours sitting in the back of an uncomfortable pickup truck waiting for the right moment to strike out at the Equalists. Ever since _joining _Tarrlok's little crusade, she'd been working like clockwork, grateful to sleep through the rising sun, but utterly _loathing _what the long nights did to her body. While it felt _good _to be taking the fight to the Equalists, what with all the times she'd been Chi Blocked or electrocuted, it was still mentally and physically exhausting. Far more-than she'd ever felt in her years of Avatar training in the south.

All in all, if this was what working for a _living _was like, she couldn't wait for things to get back to normal.

Sleeping like the dead, amidst her dreams of freezing basement-fulls of Equalists and Equalists-in-training, a tantalizing scent drifted into her window on the breeze and glided across her nose, nostrils flaring as the scent roused her tired body from slumber.

"Huh…? What's that smell?"she wondered groggily, groaning as her eyes opened.

The hardest thing about waking up in the middle of her current sleep cycle, was that if she were woken up in the middle of the day, it'd take _forever _to go to sleep again.

"Whatever that smell is… it'd _better _be worth it," she said rolling out of her bed and onto the floor. " . . . Ow."

_***AIR***_

"So boys. I take it your training has been going well?" Zhu asked as Mako and Bolin were brought over to him, the Shirshu owner sitting a short distance away from a line of stone ovens behind the kitchen, "eyeing" the contents as they baked. Off to the side was a large table with three large platters, and an enormous wooden spatula.

"What do _you _think?" Mako groaned, an ice pack to his head. "Bumi's throws kick like a damn Ostrich-Horse, it's just lucky we have a _sponsor _with how much wear and tear our equipment's been under."

"Pain is just weakness and ten pounds of crap leaving the body," Zhu said dismissively to the two. "Ah, Ms. Sato, lovely to see you again," he greeted with a bow after rising. "Even in ordinary clothes, you're as fetching as always," he said taking a knee and extending a hand to her.

"Oh, you flatterer, it's lovely to see you too," the young heiress returned as he laid a kiss upon her knuckles, Mako bristling off to the side. "_*Sniff* *Sniff* _What's that smell? It's quite good."

"Just an experiment," Zhu hummed, fingers drumming on a notepad. "Now that I don't have to babysit Korra, a whole lot of free time's opened up."

"What's it _like_? Being one of the Avatar's travelling companions?" Asami asked with open curiosity. "I've read the biographies and autobiographies, but it's something else to see the Avatar in the _flesh_, let alone those that know her best."

"I don't know about 'knowing her best', but honestly? It's a pain in the _ass_," Zhu said flatly, Asami blinking at his words, clearly not expecting the answer. "Don't get me wrong, it's been fun, and I'll probably see more of this world in my lifetime than most can ever claim, but it's just… the White Lotus really screwed the pooch on her upbringing, so I've got a lot of ground to make up for. Holing her up in a middle-of-nowhere ice fortress was _sorely _counterproductive for being protector of the world, which everyone _else _lives in."

"Why do you think that was?"

"No idea. The White Lotus certainly isn't telling _me_," Zhu said with crossed arms.

"By the way, I'm curious. How'd you get a pet _Shirshu_?" she asked gesturing to the eyeless beast.

The next moment, Akamaru seemed to take notice of the girl, head perking up and nostrils flaring in her direction. The eyeless animal suddenly bounding towards her like a hairy moped, Bolin yelped and dove out of the way, Mako interposing himself between it and Asami only to get a tongue-lashing to the inner thigh that dropped him like a sack of bricks. The Shirshu diving through his legs and bowling him over as he struggled for balance, the next moment Asami was tackled to the ground and let out a frightened yelp as the Shirshu pinned her to the ground, star-shaped muzzle in her face as the creature took in her scent.

"Aww, he likes you," Zhu cooed as Bolin recovered and Mako rolled up into a sitting position, his right leg dead to the world.

"You don't say…" Asami said nervously, nostrils flaring in her face. Gingerly reaching up to pat its head, the creature stilled for a second before leaning up into her palm, letting out a purring noise and giving the girl a lick with its tongue.

"Don't worry, its tongue-barbs only extend when it whips its tongue out. Regular licking's okay," Zhu said nudging Akamaru over to the side before helping Asami to her feet, the Shirshu circling her feet much to the heiress' delight as she ran her hand along its back.

"I do say, he's certainly quite docile," Asami said with a smile, growing more-comfortable around the exotic creature. "I'm amazed you were able to get the _license _for him."

"Yeah, well, I got it before things between me and Councilman Tarrlok went sour, so don't expect me to pick up anything _else _exotic," Zhu replied with a wave of his hand.

"Yeah, because _one _crazy animal is enough," Mako said as Bolin helped him onto a nearby bench, rubbing at where the barbs had stuck his leg, trying to get the feeling back into his toes.

"Sooo… When do you think it'll be done?" Bolin asked eyeing the ovens, his stomach growling slightly.

"I'm rounding up the cook-time in five-minute intervals, so for this batch… I guess another _five_," Zhu answered.

"Morning guys…" a tired voice yawned out.

"EYAAUUUUUGH!" Bolin squealed doing the double-take. "KORRA!? THERE'S SOMETHING TRYING TO EAT YOUR _HEEEAD_!"

"What?! WHERE!? Get it off! GET IT OOOFF!" the Avatar shrieked, head whipping about frantically.

"Nothing's trying to eat your head. You just looked like you rolled out of _bed_," Zhu sighed as he walked over to her. "C'mon. Sit down. Let me fix your hair," he said grabbing her by the shoulders before sitting her down in his seat, a familiar-looking comb drawn from his shirt pocket. "I wouldn't be a very good _husband _if I let my lovely wife walk around looking like _that_ now would I~?" he cooed causing Korra to blush beet red.

Off to the side Bolin and Mako's jaws dropped, Asami's hands going to her lips as she let out a shocked gasp, all of their eyes wide.

Amazingly, it only took Korra a second to _realize _Zhu's words had been taken at face value.

"It's not what it looks like!" the Avatar yelped between her blush and hair combing.

"Oh really~?" Asami asked with a mirthful giggle. "And what _does _it look like~?"

" . . . "

_***AIR***_

"And that's what happened," Korra finished. Everything from her leaving the South Pole in the dead of night, meeting Zhu in the cargo hold, playing the role of honeymooners so they wouldn't get caught, all the way until their hasty departure into Republic City.

"Is that really something you should be _admitting _to?" Mako asked.

"Says the ex-con," Zhu bit out.

"Hey, I never got arrested for _anything_!" Mako said defensively.

"Really, though, _stowing away_?" Asami asked, sounding a mix between affronted and amused.

"Hey, you've got no room to talk _either_, Ms. _Road_ Rage," Korra said jerking a thumb in Mako's direction.

"Urk!" the heiress flinched. "I-It was an _accident_," she said bashfully tapping her index fingers together, suddenly unable to maintain eye contact, desperate for someone to change the subject.

Moments later and the universe threw her a bone.

"Oh! Timer's done!" she said hastily pointing to the table, the hourglass sitting atop it fully spent.

"Ah. Pizza's ready," Zhu nodded, grabbing a large spatula and withdrawing the contents of the stone ovens before unloading each onto a pre-prepared plate on the table.

The aforementioned "pizzas" appeared to be wide circular pieces of flatbread, the outer edges rolled inward forming a perimeter to contain a topping consisting of tomato sauce and cheese. The "pizza" on the left was covered with _just _cheese, the one in the middle covered in pieces of meat, and the one on the right an assortment of vegetables.

"Pizza? You mean that weird food you mentioned back at the police station?" Korra asked with a raised brow as she eyed the culinary concoctions over. _'So _that's _what I smelled from my room,'_ she thought idly, a bit of drool welling up in the corner of her mouth, her stomach voicing _its _opinion as well.

"Yeah, _that _stuff. Now that I don't have to babysit _you _all the time, I finally have some free time," Zhu said looking them over.

"Well it smells," Korra slurped, unladylike, "really, really good. Might even be worth getting _up _for."

"Ooh! Ooh, can we try?" Bolin asked, rubbing his stomach. "Please? I'm a growing boy!"

"Well there's no point to food _unless _you eat it," Zhu said pulling out an enormous knife with a curved moon-shaped blade, a handle on each end. "At least let me _cut _it first," he said eyeing Korra and Bolin's drool trails, the two awkwardly wiping it away with their sleeves as he set to work cutting each "pizza" into quarters, and those quarters into halves, before setting out some smaller plates and a pie server. "Go nuts, guys."

"Oh boy! Free food!" Bolin said eagerly serving himself up one of everything, Pabu scampering down his arm and nibbling at one of the veggies while Bolin grabbed the crust of the cheese-covered "pizza" and bit into it. "Oh. Oh! The cheese… it's so gooey and _good_!" he moaned between bites.

"Huh… It actually _is _good," Mako hummed as the flavor of warm tomato sauce, melted cheese, and cooked meat mingled on his tastebuds.

"Can I… Can I get some utensils, please?" Asami asked meekly as she looked down at her vegetable-covered "pizza", and then to the others who were eating it with their hands.

"It's meant to be eaten with your hands… but I'll see what I can scrounge up," Zhu said rising from his seat, grabbing a piece of cheese "pizza" and eating it on the way out. Asami could _swear _he were making a show of it just to spite her, but she had no evidence to back that sentiment up.

And even if she _could _prove he was spiting her by eating it with his hands, what exactly could she _do _about it?

"Zhu! Zhu!" Jinora said running up to him, a crate in her hands. "I've gathered together more ingredients to try! Oh! Korra! You're up!" she said seeing the Avatar as she stuffed her face.

"Oh." _*Gulp* _"Hey, Jinora," Korra greeted awkwardly between mouthfulls. "You uh… you working with _Zhu _on this?"

"Oh, yes, now that he isn't looking after you, a lot of free time has opened up."

"Yeah. So everyone keeps _saying_…" Korra muttered.

"Oh don't be such a baby," Zhu chided as he stepped into the kitchen, reappearing a few seconds later with a knife and fork. "Your utensils, Lady Sato," he said presenting them to her with an exaggerated bow.

"Why thank you," Asami replied cordially, gracefully cutting a piece of the tip away from the slice before bringing it into her mouth. "Mmm! This _is _good!" she said cutting another piece free.

"So how'd you _come up _with this stuff anyway?" Mako asked. "I've lived in Republic City my whole life and I've _never _eaten 'pizza'," he said waving the slice in his direction, only to flinch as a tasty-looking ball of meat rolled off his slice and onto the ground, Zhu's shirshu snapping out its tongue and gobbling it up a moment later.

_***AIR***_

What followed was Zhu giving the continuation of Korra's own story from earlier. Everything from the road rage to the food stand to the park, to the altercation with the Triple Threats and evading police, all the way up to their interrogation at the hands of the police chief.

"So you came upon the idea of pizza… in a fit of mind-numbing terror?" Mako asked incredulously.

"It's actually less-strange than you would think," Tenzin stated, shocking the others with his presence. "Those that have been Spirit-touched are born with knowledge beyond them because spirits are able to reach places far beyond the bounds of the Material World."

"Sooooo… a passing Spirit… gave him knowledge on _food_?" Korra asked incredulously, and only a little upset that Zhu supposedly interacted with a Spirit before her.

"Possibly, though I'd have had to have been there to say with any amount of certainty," Tenzin replied. "One example of a Human being Spirit-touched I can recall is a story of a farmer who became obsessed with a type of apple that didn't _grow _in our world after witnessing it in a dream."

"What happened to him?" Asami asked.

"A Plant Spirit took pity on him, and gave him a handful of seeds to start cultivating with."

"Anything we may've heard of?" Bolin asked.

"They're called 'Banora Whites', but the colloquial name are 'Dumbapple'. The reason for the name is that the Banora White trees bear fruit at random times during the year, so they come onto the market at irregular intervals."

"Oh, I _have _one of those trees at home, so I totally know what you mean!" Asami nodded.

"Has it borne _fruit_?"

" . . . No," she admitted.

"Hm. Well, this close to a major metropolitan center, it's no surprise. Plants from the Spirit World tend to grow better out in the wilder places," Tenzin hummed, eyeing Zhu's 'creation' with a critical eye. Looking off to the side and seeing Jinora happily eating the vegetable-covered pizza with her hands, the girl letting out a nervous giggle after getting caught, Tenzin held her gaze for a moment before serving himself up a slice and having a bite. "Mmm. This is pretty good," he nodded. "Do you happen to remember anything in the moments leading up to this idea appearing in your head?"

"No. I was too busy having a fit of sphincter-clenching terror after she jumped the three of us off the roof of that train," Zhu said flatly, Korra whistling innocently off to the side.

"Hey, it sucked for me _too_!" Korra argued.

"Oh really? How?"

"You almost squeezed my insides out like a tube of _toothpaste_!"

"Paste is what we _would've _been if Naga hadn't made that jump."

"Oh there is just no _pleasing _you, is there?"

"Um, guys?" Jinora spoke up. "Do you hear something?"

At the innocent girl's urging, the two stopped bickering, perking their ears up, their animal companions visibly agitated.

"I've spent my life in the ice-boonies, so _I _have no idea," Korra hummed. "Any of you city kids know what that is?"

"No, but I can smell something _burning_," Mako hummed.

"Is it an _Equalist _attack?" Bolin squeaked.

"If it were, the White Lotus would've raised the alarm," Tenzin said. Flaring out his robes and propelling himself into the air with an impressive feat of Airbending, the monk held his position for a moment before lightly descending. "Were any of you expecting _guests_, today?"

"Don't look at _us_. We don't even _live _here," Mako hummed.

"Korra?"

"If it isn't Tarrlok, then I don't know either," Korra shrugged.

"Ms. Sato?"

"I don't have any form of entourage, if that's what you're asking."

"Zhu, what about you?"

"I know _one _guy outside this temple who could come here… but there's no way _he _would come out of the blue like this."

_***AIR***_

"Hey Zhu! I decided to drop in out of the blue like this!"

"Then again… I've been wrong before…" Zhu said as Varrick strutted up to them from the deck where some kind of monstrous _boat _was moored, the mousy Zhu-Li apologizing to the guards as Varrick made his way toward them unopposed. "Varrick… What're you doing here?"

"_Varrick_!?" Asami gasped. "_The _Varrick!?"

"Iknik _Blackstone _Varrick!" the mustachioed man said proudly.

"What… What are you _doing _here?" Zhu asked.

"Zhu, you _know _this man?" Tenzin asked.

Free of worldly desires as he was, even _he _knew one of the richest men in the world on sight.

Though certainly not the monstrosity he'd docked.

"Ah, didn't I mention we had coffee after saving his life?"

"No. You _conveniently _left that out."

"Well, no-one _asked _what I'd been doing with all my _free time_!" Zhu bit back. "But in all seriousness, Varrick… What are you _doing _here?"

"What? A guy can't drop in unannounced on his favorite criminal-butt-kicking animal-walker unannounced?" Varrick replied unashamed.

"It's typically bad _manners_, so yes," Zhu said flatly.

"Ah, I see, I see," the man hummed.

To Zhu-Li's chagrin, like a child with a short attention span, Varrick was distracted by something new and interesting moments later.

"WHAT IS _THAT_?!" Varrick suddenly gaped getting up in Asami's grill, a finger pointing at the pizza she'd subconsciously brought with her.

"Oh, um, it's _pizza_. You… want a slice?"

"Well don't mind if I _do_!" Varrick said with a grin as he swiped one of the slices and bit into it. "Yowza! This stuff's _good_! Really _really _good!" he exclaimed between bites. "Who _made _this tasty invention?"

"That would be him," Asami said pointing behind him.

"Zhu, my boy! I just _knew _you had a good head on your shoulders!" he said throwing an arm over aforementioned shoulders. _"You haven't sold this idea to anyone _else _have you?" _he whispered conspiratorially, eyes on the prowl for potential business rivals, as improbable as that might be.

"No! No he hasn't!" Asami gawped rushing over to the two. "Please! Right this way!" she said ushering them up the stairs, the Fire Ferrets exchanging looks before shrugging their shoulders and following after.

_***AIR***_

_"Asami, what's the big idea?" _Zhu whispered as Varrick eyed the remaining pizza on the table, the group reconvened at the brick ovens behind the kitchen after Asami all but _carried _the two there.

_"Zhu, do you _know _who that man is?"_

_"Yes, he's that big _shipping _magnate-"_

_"He's one of the richest men in the world! Richer even than my _father_!" _the heiress gasped. _"Do you realize how big of an _opportunity _this is for you?"_

_"What? My _pizza_?"_

_"If you play your cards right with Mr. Varrick, this 'pizza' could become the next super-food, and _you _could become a _very _rich man!"_

_"_ _. . . Well I _do _like the sound of that," _Zhu found himself admitting. "So! Varrick! What do you think of my budding enterprise!" he asked loud-enough for the man to hear.

"It's _great_! You could eat it off a plate, or with your hands on the _go_!" he gesture to Zhu-Li who nibbled a vegetable-laden slice of pizza, a meat slice in his own hand as he waved his arm around dramatically. "And the _ingredients_!" he said zipping over to the crate. "So much _possibilities_! Different bread, different sauce, different _toppings_!"

"Wanna buy in?"

"You bet your sweet _shirshu _I do!" Varrick said loudly. "I can just see it now! Fire Nation-style royal architecture- you know, because of the fire-, and over the door, a big golden **Pizza Palace**! And not just one! But _dozens _of them, all over the world! With locally sourced ingredients, we'll be practically _swimming _in money!" he said throwing an arm over the teen's shoulder and waving his hand out into the distance to something only he could see.

"Yes, you _definitely _have the ambition to spread this heavenly gift to the world," he said wafting a slice tantalizingly under the man's nose.

_"Laying it on a little _thick_, ain't he?" _Korra asked behind his shoulder.

_"Quiet, you!" _Asami hissed with a hand wave, eager to see how this played out.

"You're just in _time_, actually!" Zhu said walking over to the crate of ingredients. "I was about to make a new pizza when you arrived in your… What the spirits _was _that thing?"

"My _rocket_-boat!" the man said proudly with his hands on his hips, chest puffed out, Zhu-Li waving a fan to make his coat tails flutter.

" . . . Neat," Zhu nodded. "So! First ingredient we start with is the _flour_…"

_***AIR***_

What followed was a new incarnation of Water Tribe cuisine.

Starting with a mound of flour with a divot for the milk, as Jinora kneaded the dough, humming happily to herself, Zhu mixed in copious amounts of seaweed powder turning it a shade of green only a Water Tribesman could find appetizing. Smothering the crust in tomato sauce grown from volcanic soil in the Fire Nation, since the Water Tribes weren't stocked for vegetables most took for granted, he then smothered _that _with Buffalo Yak cheese, and then a variety of Water Tribe toppings; marbled seal meat, arctic hen, and these greasy little fish called 'anchovies' which were gaining in popularity thanks to recent advances in fishing technology; courtesy of one of Varrick's many subsidiaries.

By the time it came out when the seaweed bread crust was thoroughly baked, the smell that spilled into the air was so-appetizing, even those normally _averse _to green food found their mouths watering.

"Mmmm! MMMM! Tastes _just _like home!" Varrick sighed orgasmically, Tenzin covering Jinora's ears at the sounds coming from the man's mouth as he ate. "I'm sold! Let's talk stock options!"

Off to the side, Asami pumped her fist, grinning ear to ear as she watched, practically _giddy _as the man talked numbers.

"I don't need a _ton _of money. Just enough to live comfortably, maybe get a little place of my own someday; if I find the right girl."

At Zhu's words, Asami's face paled horrendously. Turning down a lucrative business contract? Was he out of his _mind_!?

" . . . Just for that I'm giving you money out the wazu just to _spite _you," Varrick said curtly, Asami's jaw dropping. Had Zhu _planned _it that way, knowing of Varrick's eccentricities, or did he honestly not want to become filthy stinking rich after going into business with Varrick, an opportunity that many would, and _had_, killed for.

"Well, if you _insist_~" Zhu returned with a smile.

He _had _planned it!

_"That boy would be _terrifying _in a board room…" _Asami muttered to herself, the heiress chewing one of her manicured nails at the thought as Zhu and Varrick sealed the deal with a handshake, a rough contract eked out between them at least until the fine print could be laid out.

_***AIR***_

"Mwah! Now _that _was satisfying!" Varrick said kissing his fingertips a couple hours later, a pile of plates as tall as Meelo carted back to the kitchens, numerous White Lotus and Air Acolytes gathered around the baking plaza after the wind carried the scent of cooking pizza across the island.

It most-certainly had _nothing _to do with a certain ten-year-old's Airbending prowess. No siree.

It'd started out small, one or two White Lotus on patrol hungry for a snack from the kitchens, and a few even pooled ingredients together from the care packages family sent them from home. Then the Air Acolytes got involved, carrying fresh vegetables, banannas and onions especially popular with the Air Acolytes once the ingredients _caramelized_.

And in just a few hours, Zhu's 'pizza' had a budding customer base, which was sure to spread like wildfire through Republic City, and then the world if Iknik Blackstone Varrick had anything to say about it.

"Indeed," Zhu-Li nodded dabbing at her lips with a cloth napkin, brushing crumbs off of Varrick's fine suit.

"Well then, I'm glad we're going into business together."

"Agreed!" Varrick nodded, enthusiastically shaking the teen's hand. "Also, this reminds me for whatever reason… WHAT OFF THE EARTH ARE _THOSE_!" he said jabbing a finger in the air.

"Those are our Sky Bison! Wanna see them?" Ikki offered.

"_Do _I?" the man asked enthused. "Zhu-Li, do I?"

"And if I were to say 'no'?"

"Take me to those Sky Bison, little lady!"

"Okay!"

"Oh my god, it's spreading…" Jinora groaned as the two hyper-active people bounded off to the Sky Bison pens.

_***AIR***_

"Now _that _is incredible," Varrick said in awe as a Sky Bison hauling a huge pile of supplies on its back came in for a landing.

"Yes, quite majestic indeed, sir," Zhu-Li added humbly.

"And the _babies_! Aren't they the cutest thing you've ever seen?" he asked eyeing a small herd of baby Sky Bison.

"Indeed, sir," Zhu-Li nodded, trying to school her expression as they slurped up whole apples with their tongues.

"Airbending Master Tenzin!" Varrick suddenly said with much formality. "I, Iknik Blackstone Varrick, would like to charter a flight to my _penthouse _this evening," he requested, waving a fat stack of yuans under the man's nose, Mako and Bolin's eyes going wide at the thickness of it. "I'm willing to pay you _very _generously for the service."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Varrick, but we don't charter Sky Bison flights for commercial gain," Tenzin said sternly.

Spirits knew people had tried pressuring him for it _before_. It was only by merit of being Aang's own flesh-and-blood, and being the spiritual leader of his own nation, that kept the majestic Sky Bison from being exploited.

"Hmmmmm… I see," Varrick hummed conspiratorially, fingers steepled together. "Zhu-Li; do the thing."

"Yes sir," the woman nodded as she withdrew a notepad before turning her full attention to Tenzin. "During Avatar Korra's first rampage, the counts of destruction to private and city property that ensue are as follows; one torn flag, the contents of six fruit crates, one storefront pane glass window, three grandfather clocks, six meters of upturned paved road, one crashed Satomobile, a destroyed antique furniture store, three concussed police officers, one dented train car roof," she tallied off, Korra sagging further into her seat with each count as the mousy woman scribbled on her notepad. "Totaling for damages and injuries… Does this amount look correct?" she asked presenting the number on the bottom of the pad to Tenzin, the others peeking over his shoulder to see the damage.

Korra and Asami were nonplussed, albeit for completely different reasons; on Korra's part, having barely even _used _money, she had no point of reference, while on Asami's end, any number with that many zeroes may as well have been chump change.

For Bolin and Mako, the two of them blanched, visibly flinching backward at the number of zeros displayed. Before they got their sponsors, they couldn't even _dream _of paying for those kinds of damages.

Tenzin on the other hand went so pale, even Koh the _Face_ Stealer wouldn't want it. And that guy took _everything_!

"Sooo… About that Sky Bison ride…" Varrick said with a grin.

"I'm… not sure I can take that much money from you," Tenzin said worriedly, a few of the Air Acolytes hanging on his every word.

"Oh, please! I scrape this much money out of the _couch cushions _every morning," the man waved off. "Besides, I'm not _paying _you for a Sky Bison ride."

"You're not?" he asked confusedly.

"Nope! This is a _donation _to your homely island paradise," he said waggling the stack of yuans once more; alongside his expertly-groomed eyebrows. "Any Sky Bison rides, are just a gift between friends."

"Right… friends…" Tenzin hummed staring at the mustachioed man, then the money being offered to him.

"Would you care for some in-flight _snacks _on the way back?" a happy voice chirped.

"_Pema_?!" Tenzin gawped as his wife accepted the "donation" in his stead.

"Oof! No thanks. That pizza left me _stuffed_," Varrick said patting his distended stomach. "Gonna have to double up on my Varri-calisthenics," he said doing a few lunges off a nearby rock. "After I check my body for-"

"If it's all the same to you, we'll be taking our leave," Zhu-Li interrupted before her employer could say something tactless before three impressionable children.

"Wait, what about your rocket-boat?" Bolin asked.

"Eh, I'll pick it up another day. And _hey_, if you wanna take it for a spin around the bay, here's some money for fuel," he said tossing another fat stack of yuans to the Earthbender, jaw going slack as he beheld the heft of money in his hands. "Remember to buy the _good _stuff, not that cheapo crap, it totally gums up the gears! When I splurge, it's always for a _reason_!"

"Yes, sir!" Bolin said snapping to attention, free hand raised in a salute.

"Right on!" Varrick said raising his thumb and pinkie, waggling his hand at the wrist before strutting over to the Sky Bison that'd just arrived, Tenzin walking after him while Pema waved, cradling the fat stack of yuans in her free hand.

"Well…" Korra hummed idly. "_He _certainly seems like an interesting fellow."

"You don't know the _half _of it," Zhu sighed. "Still, nice to know _something _good came from that fit of sphincter-clenching terror."

"Could you stop going on about your sphincter? I don't even know what a sphincter _is_."

"And like that, any remaining faith I had in the White Lotus, is evaporated…" Zhu sighed with lidded eyes. "Come on, you've had your snack time. Back to bed with you."

"Awww. I don't wanna."

_***Whack!***_

"Sonofa_bitch_!"

Korra would've hit the ground following the jab to her neck had Zhu not caught her, the Water Tribesman throwing her limp form onto his back before he started jogging off to the women's dormitory, the Avatar completely incapable of protest.

Or moving anything from the neck-down.

"That… is terrifying…" Mako said after a moment as the two disappeared from sight.

"What? The Chi Blocking?" Asami asked.

" . . . Also, yes," the Firebender nodded.

"You think he's got any more pizza?" Bolin asked completely missing the tone.

_***AIR***_

**AN:  
You didn't think that "road pizza" line was just a **_**throwaway**_**, now did you?**


End file.
